This story is set when they are 17.

Disclaimer: I don't own any JN

I'm With You

Cindy stares at the river on the bridge just outside of town. It is cold and rainy as it is getting close to winter. She doesn't seem to mind that it is raining and lets the water glide over her. Her hair is sticking to her face. She gets up and stands on the railing of the bridge, which is just wide enough to hold her up. She lifted her hands up and looked up towards the sky. She can hear cars going by but she figures they can't see her because it is so dark. She hears one screech to a stop.

"Wait!"

She turns her head to see who it is but loses her footing on the railing. She grabs on with both of her hands but because of the rain it is extremely slippery. The mystery person runs over to her.

"Hang on, I got you!" They had to yell over the traffic noise and the rain. Cindy sees a silhouette of a person but can't make out who it is. The person grabs both of her hands and lifts her up over the railing. Once she is safely on the ground the other person hugs her tightly and when they let her go she is able to see who just saved her.

"Jimmy?" She pushes the hair out of her face and looks at him with surprise.

"What the hell were you thinking? Were you going to jump?" He grabs her by the shoulders.

"No, of course not." She snaps at him and wriggles out of his grasp. "I was just trying to get away and clear my mind."

"That's kind of a dangerous way of doing it don't you think? Why not try meditation, or working out. Not standing on a railing that is 100 feet above rushing water." He stares at her intently but she turns away from him towards the speeding cars and then back down to her feet.

"Can you take me somewhere?" She glances back up at him.

"Where?"

"Anywhere, I just need to get out of here for a while." She squints because of the rain.

"Alright, but let's go home first to get some dry clothes. I don't want you to get hypothermia."

"Ok." They get in Jimmy's car and head to their neighborhood.

When they get to their neighborhood they both go to their respective houses to change into different clothes. Cindy also decides to try to dry her hair a bit. She comes out of her house and runs across the street over to Jimmy's. Just as she gets over there he is landing his hovercar on the ground. There is a clear glass dome covering the top that kept the rain out. He gets out.

"We're taking the hovercar?" She asks incredulously.

"Yeah, you said you wanted to go anywhere. This will do a better job of being able to do that than just taking my car. It'll be like old times." He smiles and turns around towards the hovercar. She smiles a small smile that he doesn't see.

"Milady." He reaches out his hand to help her inside the hovercar.

"Thanks." She grabs his hand and steps into the vehicle. Jimmy runs over to the other side and jumps in.

"Ok, here we go." Jimmy turns on the ignition and starts to drive in the direction away from the city.

He drives for a while and notices that Cindy has fallen asleep. He smiles and watches her sleep peacefully for a few seconds. It stopped raining so he brings down the glass dome that covered the hovercar. They had reached their destination so he lands the hovercar and tries to wake up Cindy.

He touches her shoulder and gently shakes her. "Hey Cindy, wake up. We're here."

She groans and rises slowly. She rubs her face with her hands to wake herself up. "Where are we?" She says groggily.

"You'll see." Jimmy gets out and helps Cindy out of the hover car. She notices that the ground was soft and sunk beneath her feet. It is still incredibly dark as it is probably close to midnight at this point. Jimmy had lit up something that looked like a torch. Cindy's eyes take a minute to focus. Once she does her eyes widen.

"It's the island." She says barely above a whisper.

"Our island. C'mon." Jimmy grabs her hand and leads her further into the island. They come to a large clearing that has a few logs and a fire pit.

"It's exactly the same." Cindy says as she sits on one of the logs and surveys what is around her. Their tree houses were still there, lying in rotting pieces.

"Yeah, I don't think anyone else has been here in the last 7 years." Jimmy sits down on the log next to Cindy.

They sat in silence for a few minutes until Jimmy decided to break the stillness of the night.

"So, can you tell me what you were doing on the bridge?" He wants to get to the point quickly.

"Ugh, Jimmy. I already told you." Cindy groans.

"Yes, I realize that, but I don't think you told me the full truth. I know you."

"Really? Is that what you think? We haven't talked in a long time. You have no idea what is going on with me." Cindy tried to be calm but anger was slowly starting surface.

"I know. And I'm sorry. Betty took up a lot of my time." He glances down ashamed.

"THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU COULDN'T HAVE ASKED! IT'S LIKE YOU DIDN'T CARE AT ALL AND OUR FRIENDSHIP MEANT NOTHING TO YOU!" Cindy's anger escalates quickly and it was clear now as she was screaming at Jimmy.

"I'M SORRY." He yells back. "I don't know what else to say. I'm here now." He reaches out for her.

"I don't know if that's good enough Jimmy. You abandoned me." She pushes his hand away. Her eyes are wet with tears. She gets up from the log they were sitting on.

"Cindy, I am truly sorry." He gets up to follow her. "I was not a good friend to you. I want to make it up to you somehow, if you'll let me." He puts his hand on her shoulder.

She turns around to face him. "How can I trust that you'll be around?"

"I'll just have to show you." He walks back over to the log. He sits down, and pats the spot next to him.

She knows that she shouldn't but she can't help it when she is around him. She hesitantly walks over to him and sits down next to him anyway. He stares at her expectantly.

"Well, first of all my parents are getting a divorce."

"Really? How long has that been going on?" He listens closely.

"Well, I feel like they hadn't been connecting for many years, but everything got worse the last year. My dad cheated on my mom." She picks at the bark on the log.

"With who?"

"His secretary at work. It's so cliché. They tried to work on it and get through it, but I think by that point it was too late."

"How do you feel about it?" He puts his hand on hers.

"I'm so mad at them. But mostly at my dad for being an asshole. I understand that it is probably best for everyone if they aren't together...but I don't want to have a broken family." She studies their hands.

"Well, you have your friends. Libby, Sheen, Carl…and me. We will be your family." He smiles. She takes her hands away and crosses them over her chest.

"I'm not friends with them anymore. I haven't talked to Libby for a year. Right around the time this all went down." She glances to her right into the trees that hide the rest of the island.

"Wow, I really have missed a lot..what happened?" He puts his hands in front of him and rests them on the log.

"She just didn't want to deal with my drama anymore. It was too much for her to handle. She was my only friend that I could talk to." She quickly looks back at Jimmy into his cobalt blue eyes making sure not to stare too long.

"I don't think that's an awfully good reason…I'm sorry Cindy, I should've been there." Cindy can see that he is being genuine and his face gives the impression that he is feeling pain.

"There's something else. Another reason she isn't talking to me." Cindy shivers.

"What's that?" Jimmy takes off his jacket and puts it over her shoulders.

Cindy expression is especially apprehensive but she just decides to rip off the band-aid so to speak.

"I got pregnant. By Nick."

"WHAT?! How come you never told me that?" He brings his hands up to his head like he can't believe what he is hearing.

"We weren't exactly on speaking terms. And I couldn't have just walked up to you and Betty and say 'Hey I'm pregnant' and walk away, could I?" He brings his hands down and closes his eyes to calm himself down.

"Yeah, you're right." He sighs.

" Anyway..I took care of it and Libby didn't exactly agree with my decision." He opens his eyes.

"What do you mean took care of it, like adoption?" She gazes into his eyes and her lips start to quiver.

"Oh. My God, Cindy I'm so sorry." Jimmy envelops her and holds her tight. Cindy bawls her eyes out into Jimmy's shirt and they sit like that for a while.

"I don't know how many times I can say this, but I am sorry that I wasn't there for you when you needed someone there for you. But I am here now, and I will always be."

Cindy wipes her tears away. "Thanks."

They sit together for a while and listen to the waves crashing against the shore. Something about this place was vastly peaceful for the both of them. An escape from reality.

Jimmy breaks the silence. "It hurts me to see you hurt. Now and even before when I would see you in the hallway. I could tell something was wrong but I never had the balls to ask. " He had his arm around Cindy while they are looking at the ocean but takes it away and links his own hands together.

"It's ok. I guess I can understand that. I didn't try to talk to you either. You know how I am. I don't like seeming like I am helpless." She stares at him.

"You are the strongest woman I know. To go through something like that takes a toll. Some people can't handle it... I'm glad that you can and that I am here to help you get through it now. If I had known earlier…"

"I know." She grabs one of his hands. "So how is Betty anyway?" Cindy didn't really want to know but thought it would be polite to ask. She was always jealous of Betty. Especially when Betty was with Jimmy.

"I eventually realized that she was totally crazy and we've been done for a while now. I also realized something else while I was with her."

"And what's that?" Cindy is curious.

"That I wasn't in love with her. I've always been in love with someone else."

"Oh." Cindy stares at her feet and uses them to play with the sand.

Jimmy took his free hand, brought it up to her cheek and guided her to face him. They gaze at each other for what seems like an eternity. Her green eyes scanning his blue ones.

He kisses her. It was a short, sweet kiss. They both look at each other and smile.

"Do you know how many years I have waited for you to do that?" Cindy said to Jimmy.

"Well I'm a little oblivious and sometimes I don't know a good thing when it's right in front of me." She laughs and he kisses her again.

"We should probably go. I think the sun is going to come up soon." Cindy gets up and walks toward the hovercar. She hops in herself. Jimmy gets in the other side and starts the ignition. He watches her.

"You, ok?"

"Yeah." She smiles and kisses his cheek. "I'm with you."