Rating: PG

Pairing: Jordan Sullivan/Elliot Reid

Prompt: 03. Bend the Rules

Warnings: Again, mild gender-bending, but not really

Spoilers: None

Word Count: 699

Author's Notes: I don't even know that I should call it gender-bending…meh, you'll see what I mean. I also want to apologize fairly quickly about my long absence. My folks have been in town, my power was out over the weekend, and I've been trying to crack back down on my clarinet practicing. I've just had a pretty full week, but now that the family's gone back home, I should have more time. ::grins:: Enjoy!

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My Broken Rules

Jordan didn't often feel out of her depth. And even when she did, she sure as hell didn't like it. In fact, she hated it so much, that she often went out and did her own research to make sure she had the correct footing.

Which was why, upon entering a something akin-to-but-not-actually-a-relationship with Elliot, Jordan was off her game.

Hell, she didn't even know how to be a lesbian. And surely one female relationship (as opposed to a fling) didn't make her one, did it? And even if Jordan were a full-blown lesbian, she didn't think Elliot was her type.

Not whiny, neurotic, babbling, nervous Elliot.

Jordan ticked her fingernails against her hips as she stared at Jack witheringly. Perry was coming by to pick him up for the night, and Jack looked fairly excited.

Jack looked up at her pacing, cocking his head to the side in curiosity. She looked mad to him, but still not…angry, exactly. She definitely hadn't stopped moving for the past hour, but even Jack was beginning to take notice of her agitated movements.

The knock on the door made Jack look up though. "Daddy?" he asked, and raced towards the door before Jordan could answer.

Perry opened the door without waiting, and found a five-year-old ball of energy squirming around his legs and struggling to climb his body like a tree.

"Nice to see you too, Jacky," Perry chuckled in a voice he reserved only for Jack. He scooped the boy up and hitched him to his side. He glanced warily to Jordan's anxious face, insult ready upon his lips, but he stopped at her expression. "What's eating you, demon? Some small child not agreeing with your stomach?"

"Can it." Jordan picked up Jack's backpack. He'd outgrown his diaper bag last year, but still insisted on taking certain toys wherever he went.

Usually, however, Jack could amuse himself with a large box. It was a point of amusement that both Jordan and Perry kept several large boxes (some big enough to hold an adolescent child) at their respective apartments.

Perry rubbed a hand over Jack's hair. "Mommy being crazy again?"

Jack debated a minute, remembering his mother's incessant movement and her oddly-angry-but-not-angry face.

"Yeah," Jack giggled, and wasn't sure why that amused Daddy so much.

Perry resisted the urge to wipe an imaginary tear from his eye, sensing for once that it might only annoy Jordan further.

"You going to pick him up tomorrow afternoon?" Perry asked, giving Jack his stethoscope to play with.

Jordan nodded as Perry hoisted Jack's backpack over his shoulder. "Around six."

Perry shrugged when Jordan didn't have an insult ready. "You alright, Jordalicious?"

Jordan rolled her eyes at the old nickname. "Just fine, Per. Now go; I've got plans." She kissed Jack's head affectionately. "See ya tomorrow, Jacky."

"Bye, Mommy!" Jack waved animatedly over Perry's shoulder as the two left, closing the door behind them.

Jordan breathed a sigh of relief and immediately began her pacing again. Her relationship with Perry had always been easy, but they had been in a fairly straight relationship. She had firmly drawn the line at asking Perry anything having to do with DJ and how they went about the everyday things.

It was the everyday things that could make or break any relationship. Who paid for this at dinner, who opened the door, who "ruled the roost"…

And all of those things with Perry…well, they had always fought for the control.

Jordan resisted the urge to chew her thumbnail. It was different now. Any lesbian couple she had ever seen…well, there had always been a more…masculine side and a more petite, girly partner.

Glancing over at the mirror, Jordan glared sourly at her reflection. Damn if she was going to chop her hair off like she'd seen back in college with the some of the female-liberation groups.

Jordan sighed and fingered her hair. She wanted to do this one right, god help her. There was something important about Elliot, and Jordan wasn't sure she wanted to glare too closely at it for fear of screwing it up before it even began.

Jordan swore sharply. She hated being out of her depth.

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Author's Notes: I'd intended it to be a bit longer…but I kind of liked where this one ended up when I finished the beginning. Besides, I do need to try and be better about making this drabblet-one-shots instead of six to eight page one-shots. Makes it easier to write ::grins::

Anyway, gonna run off and do some other writing ::grins::

Reviewer's Corner:

Thunder-Kun: Thanks so much ::grins:: I know that near the end of Season 5 and throughout season 6, they seem to have come to some understanding or another that allows them to mildly tolerate each other. But I'm not sure; I've not seen much of Season 6, and I don't really have that big a desire to because of the things I've heard and read about it XD I'm glad you enjoyed, thanks for the review!

who-will-you-slash: lol, Jordan's sappy in her own...Jordan-esque way XD It's like Perry being affectionate ::grins:: Yeah, that's where I was going ::grins:: It's a new kind of thing for both of them, I imagine, and that puts them a bit off-footed. Thanks for the review; I'm glad you enjoyed!

And, of course, thanks to everyone for reading ::grins:: I always appreciate!

xxElisexx