Chapter Text
Birthday’s surprises
Jubal is pacing in the living room waiting for Isobel to get ready for their fancy dinner date. Her birthday was two days ago but work got the best of them so Jubal promised her a fancy birthday dinner Saturday night. Jubal is really nervous for today. For him it’s not a regular date night like they used to have every week or show during the three years they’ve been together. Today it was even more special because he was planning on proposing to her. They had talked about it over the years and both agreed they had something serious. They started living together almost from the beginning of their relationship without even having that talk. their work schedule drove them there since they wanted to spend their time together and driving from one house to another was waste of time and exhausting. So, tonight is the big night. Jubal had kept the tradition by talking to Robert about a week ago who got over the moon with everything he had planned and promised to keep it a secret until Isobel calls him with the news. He checks for a fourth time if the velvet box with the ring is in the pocket of his suit and that’s when Isobel comes down the stairs wearing and emerald silk drees, which hugs her curves perfectly highlighting his favorite spots on her body, matched with black heels and golden jewelries.
“Wow.” He whispers when he sees her. She giggles at his reaction.
“You’re beautiful babe.” He says pulling her in a kiss.
“You didn’t clean up bad yourself.” She says running her fingers down his suit.
“Ready?”
“Yeah.”
She smiles big at him and they walk hand to hand outside the house. They waiter walks them to their table and Isobel can’t help herself from admiring the place.
“How did you find this place?” She asks him when they take their seats.
“I did my research. You like it?”
“It’s beautiful, honey.”
“Everything for my birthday girl.” S
he orders a risotto with mushrooms and he asks for a medium rare stake, a club soda for him and a glass of rose wine for her.
“I’m really glad we got to do this. This week was chaotic.”
“Yeah, it definitely was. But I promised you a fancy birthday dinner and you know I always keep my promises.” Jubal jokes.
“You’re a man of your word. How I got so lucky?” She teases him.
“I think you got a jackpot.”
“Without a doubt. Seriously though, first the suprise on the JOC the other day, now this, Jubal thank you so much. I really consider myself lucky for meeting you and having you in my life.”
“I wanted to do everything to make this birthday memorable. Especially after last year.”
They both laugh on the last year’s memories even if at the moment it didn’t feel funny at all since Isobel was being home sick with COVID and Jubal couldn’t even come near her afraid to risk Tyler’s health. Jubal had gone outside the house and sang her happy birthday while she was watching him from the window.
“You were really romantic back then as well.”
“What can I say you bring the best out of me.”
They keep chatting for a bit more sharing their dishes with each other when suddenly someone calls her name.
“Izzy?” She turns around and finds a tall man with dark curls and green eyes.
“Jack, um, hi.”
He pulls her up into a hug and Isobel accepts it because she can’t really access what is happening.
“Look at you, you look gorgeous.”
Jubal watches their moment wondering who the hell is this guy who’s calling her gorgeous and hugging her before him and mostly why Isobel seems so distracted by him. He clears his throat getting Isobel’s attention back.
“Um, Jack this is Jubal, we work together. Jubal this is Jack, an old friend.”
“Nice to meet you.” Jubal says shacking his hands trying to ignore Isobel’s comment.
“I hope you don’t do the things we did with all your ‘friends’.” Jack jokes making the scene more uncomfortable. Isobel doesn’t say anything to his joke.
“So, how have you been? I thought you were still on DC.” Jack says to her.
“I moved here five years ago. I got a job. The SAC position in the New York field office.”
“That’s great. It sounds like you got what you always wanted.”
That sounded more like a grudge than a compliment to Jubal who was trying to figure what was going on.
“I sure did. What about you?”
“I have one of the biggest real estate businesses on DC, three kids and a happy marriage.”
Jubal was sure he was saying things on purpose to see Isobel’s reaction only that her face had become unreadable.
“That’s great.” She says faking a smile. He nods giving her a look that Jubal can’t really understand.
“I’ll leave you to continue your work dinner. It was nice seeing you Izzy.”
“You too.” Jack walks away and Isobel is finally able to breathe.
Jubal just waits for her to give him an explanation to him but she stays silent finishing her wine.
“Are you finished with your dishes? Would you like to bring you the dessert menu?” The waiter asks.
“Um, no. We would like the check please.” Isobel says taking Jubal by surprise.
“You don’t want dessert?” He asks.
“No, I would like to go home if you don’t mind.” She acts really strange and Jubal gets more upset.
“Actually, I do mind, but that’s a conversation for another time.”
He gives the money to the waiter, take his coat and leaves. Isobel curses under her breath and follows him outside.
“Jubal! Wait!”
She calls after him once she gets outside. He turns to face her.
“What was that about?”
“I don’t know? Maybe you introducing me to your ex as ‘we work together’, or how you acted around each other.”
“Jubal, it’s not what it looks like.” She knows he’s jealous it’s all over his face.
“Then tell me what it is. Because for all I know our fancy dinner got ruined from your very rich and tall ex.”
“I’m sorry but I can’t tell you.” She half whispers. He tosses her the car keys.
“I’ll take a cab to my place. Good thing I never sold it after all.”
“Jubal!” He doesn’t stop this time.
Isobel finds herself in her parents’ house half hour later.
“Honey? What are you doing here?” Maria, her mother asks when she opens the door.
“I fucked up.” Maria huggs her daughter pulling her inside while her father looks at her worried. They knew Jubal was gonna propose tonight and a crying Isobel was not what they expected to see.
“Why didn’t you tell him about Jack?” Her mother asks after Isobel told her what happened.
“I couldn’t. I felt ashamed and scared.”
“Izzy, what happened with Jack, wasn’t your fault. We’ve been through this before. He should be ashamed not you.”
“I know. But what if Jubal change his opinion about me?”
“Honey, Jubal loves you way too much to do that and I know that for a fact.”
“I know he does.”
“I’m sure everything will be okay once you talk.”
“Can I stay here tonight? I don’t wanna go in an empty house.”
“Of course, you can. You don’t need to ask.”
Neither of them sleeps well that night. Eventually Isobel gives up on trying to sleep in the early morning and after leaving a note to her parents she drives to Jubal’s old apartment. She finds him awake in the couch starring at the celling. He jumps when he hears the door open.
“Hey.” She says when their eyes meet.
“What are you doing here?”
He can see she’s tired and that she was crying all night but he’s still upset himself.
“I brought coffee and breakfast. I wanted to talk to you.”
“We don’t have to talk. Clearly you don’t trust me with your past.”
Jubal is about to leave the room when Isobel drops her bomb.
“Jack was abusing me.”
He stops dead in his tracks. He turns and finds tears in her face.
“W-what?” Now he realizes how stupid he acted yesterday.
“At first it was mostly worldly and psychologically. He isolated me from everyone. Then he started pushing me into getting married and having kids. I started reacting because I wanted to follow my career but he didn’t like that. I got pregnant but I didn’t want to keep it. I told him that I wanted to get an abortion. We fought and he hit me bad enough to end up at the hospital and lose the baby. After that he disappeared and I never saw him again until yesterday. I called my mom and they helped me and then I moved to New York.”
Jubal rushes to her and hugs her tight. They stay like this crying in each other’s arms until both of them calm down.
“I’m sorry, so sorry. I acted like a dick.”
“You didn’t know Jubal.”
“Still, I should have let you explain to me. I just got blindsided and jealous.”
“I know. It’s funny when you get jealous but this time you shouldn’t be. Jack broke my heart and hurt me so much that I never wanted to see a man before my eyes.”
“He’s not gonna hurt you babe, never again. I’m not gonna let him anywhere near you.” She smiles at him.
“I don’t think he’s going to come near me again but it’s nice to hear that you have my back.”
“I always have your back.” She kisses him now.
“Give me a second to go to the bathroom and I’ll be right back so we can go back to our place because this is covered with dust.”
He jokes and Isobel nods relived that they are back to normal. Probably Jubal will ask more question about it later but she doesn’t care. She only cares that she didn’t lose him. Looking around she spots the velvet box in the coffee table. She goes there and opens it. She gasps when she sees the diamond ring inside it.
“Ready to go.”
Hearing him she turns still shocked holding the open velvet box.
“Izzy…” He knows he screwed up.
“Is that…is this…what I think…it is…” She stumbles. Jubal knows it’s now or never.
“Yes. I was planning on proposing you last night. Or to be honest for the last week or so. But I realized that I never gonna find the perfect moment and it really doesn’t matter because you’re perfect and we’re perfect together so we don’t need to find anything else to make this perfect. We have each other and that’s enough. I can’t imagine my life without you. you complete me in every possible way and you make the happiest man in the world. So, Isobel Marisol Castille, will you marry me?”
He asks going down to one knee. Isobel is shocked with tears streaming down her face.
“Oh, Jubal. Of course, I’ll marry you.”
He put the ring in her finger and she pulls him up for a kiss.
“I love you, Jubal.”
“I love you too, Isobel.”
Nine months later they got married in a beautiful wedding among friends and family. Two years later Isobel read that Jack’s business was closed after the FBI found some serious illegal act going on and that Jack got arrested and went to prison. She knew that Jubal was the one behind this when she heard her dad thanking him privately after a family dinner. She didn’t tell him she knows but thanked him in every way possible.