Disclaimer: I own nothing. And it saddens me greatly. Don't sue…please.
Pairings: Mouth/Millicent. Allusions to Mouth/Rachel. A little Owen/Brooke thrown in there too!
Author's note: Okay so starting off, is there going to be a code/nickname for Mouth and Millicent because if there isn't I think it would be cute to call them MnM. Hehehe. This is kind of a collection in most of the episodes of season 5 of One Tree Hill and also has some past memories. I guess that's all. Hope everyone enjoys it!
Summary: She's sweet. He's goofy. And that redhead? She's jealous. Mouth/Millicent, implied Mouth/Rachel and a pinch of Owen/Brooke.
Remember Me as a Time of Day
One-Shot
All this feels strange and untrue
And I won't waste a minute without you
My bones ache, my skin feels cold
And I'm getting so tired and so old
Tell me that you'll open your eyes x4
Get up, get out, get away from these liars
'Cause they don't get your soul or your fire
Take my hand, knot your fingers through mine
And we'll walk from this dark room for the last time
Every minute from this minute now
We can do what we like anywhere
I want so much to open your eyes
'Cause I need you to look into mine
All this feels strange and untrue
And I won't waste a minute without you
Open Your Eyes- Snow Patrol
When Millicent Gold was sixteen years old, she watched her older brother die.
He was driving a little bit too fast and singing a little bit too loud. She was talking a little bit too much. Neither of them saw the other car run the red light until it was a little bit too late.
She doesn't remember the windows shattering. She doesn't remember that one piece of glass slicing her side. She doesn't remember screaming. What she does remember is seeing her older brother on the road. There are people around him. She struggled getting the car door open. When she does, she stumbles out of the car. She's growing weak and wobbling. Strangers are coming towards her, their lips are moving but she doesn't hear what they're saying. She pushes through and winces when pain laces her body.
In the distance she can hear the ambulance siren.
She's pretty sure that his insides aren't supposed to be hanging out of his body. She gets down on her knees. His eyes are open and his breathing is shallow. She knows that he's in a massive amount of pain. She puts his head on her lap and grips his hand and in front of all those strangers looking at them, she cries. "Stay with me." She said to him.
She remembers how he looks when he tries to speak. His mouth is quivering and he's shaking his head. "L-l-l-o-o-v-e y-y-o-u."
"I know." She knows that she's sobbing at that point because she remembers her ribs slamming against her chest. She felt like she was suffocating. "I love you too." She lifts his hand to her lips and presses a kiss to it. "You have to stay strong. You're going to be fine."
He nodded weakly at her.
She knew that she was lying. She knew that he knew that she was lying.
She felt his grip slacken in hers and she remembers the sudden panic that clawed at her. "Please," she's begging him but she knows that he's not listening to her. "Stay awake, please."
She remembers the ambulance pulled up when he allowed his eyes to roll back in his head and his eyelids slid shut. His chest heaved up once…and never heaved upwards again.
It's in slow motion from there. She doesn't remember the paramedic who had to pull her away from her brother's dead body. She doesn't remember anyone examining her. She doesn't remember answering any questions. She doesn't remember everyone staring at her. She doesn't remember her parents yelling her name. All she remembers is seeing her brother's body being zipped up in a large black bag. She remembers letting out a scream. She remembers kicking and scratching the officer who held her back. She remembers wanting to see her brother one last time. She doesn't remember hitting the ground. She does remember that everything suddenly went black.
Marvin Leonardo "Mouth" McFadden remembers his first day of school. He's five years old and wearing blue overalls over a green shirt. His mom cries and he remembers comforting her, telling her that he'll be okay. He already knows the whole alphabet and knows how to count from 1 to 100.
Everything is already planned in his mind. He'll make lots of new friends and he'll be part of the popular group. He remembers thinking that he'd be a nice popular kid. Marvin Leonardo McFadden; the nice popular kid. He remembers liking the sound of it.
Getting picked on and bullied wasn't part of his plan. He gets pushed around by Nathan Scott and Tim Smith. At recess they stole his snack. At lunch they hid his lunch bag. When he finally found his Power Rangers tin lunch box, it was empty. He remembers picking up the crumpled piece of paper in the tin box. The writing is sloppy and messy but the word is easy to read. Loser.
He remembers asking to use the bathroom. He remembers walking into a stall, locking it and then crying.
He remembers going home and his mom asking how his day was. Instead of telling her the truth, he lies to her. Because even five year old Marvin Leonardo "Mouth" McFadden, knows that the truth would break his mother's heart. He tells her, "It was great! I made lots of friends."
The next day of school, he's not so happy to be back. His recess is stolen again and he's still getting bullied. At lunchtime, he sits on a large piece of wood, off to the side where hardly anyone can see him. He remembers liking being alone. He sees Nathan Scott and Tim Smith playing basketball with their other friends. Biting his lip, he starts to talk. Not to himself but to the woodland creatures who might be listening. He describes what Nathan Scott and Tim Smith are doing.
He doesn't remember hearing or seeing anyone else until another person coughs. He stops talking and whips his head to where the cough came from. The person comes forward and he can see that it's a boy. He's a little bit chubby, has shaggy brown hair and light brown eyes. The newcomer takes the seat next to him. They sit in silence. "Hi." He nervously says. "My name is Marvin."
The other boy smiles and nods. "I know. You're in my class. I sit in the front." He tilts his head to the side. "You talk a lot, did you know that?"
He blushes. "My mom likes it when I talk."
The other boy shrugs. "Okay." There's another pause. "Can I call you Mouth then?"
"Why do you wanna call me Mouth?"
"Cuz you talk a lot." The boy answers.
"Okay then." The slightly chubby boy gets up and starts to walk away. "Hey!" he calls out. The other boy turns around. "What's your name?"
"I'm Jimmy Edwards." He turns back around and keeps walking.
He doesn't remember thinking that his first friend is going to be responsible for the nightmares that will plague the students of Tree Hill High. He doesn't remember thinking that his first friend is going to die when they're only eight-teen.
Millicent first meets Brooke Davis when she's nineteen years old. They're both at New York University. It's by pure accident. Millicent walked out of her English Lit class when Brooke walked in. They hit each other and their belongings fell to the floor. Millicent starts to apologize, because really, everyone knows who Brooke Davis is. She's studying fashion and an up and coming fashion designer. Brooke just laughs and smiles at Millicent. Millicent is still apologizing to Brooke when a tall redhead comes to stand beside Brooke.
Millicent isn't going to lie. She remembers feeling intimidated by both girls. Brooke is stunningly beautiful and her dimples come out in full and the redhead is equally as stunning. "I really am sorry." Millicent says quickly.
Brooke waves her hand. "It's okay. People always say that I'm a magnet." She laughs at herself. "I'm Brooke Davis."
"I know." Millicent remembers wanting to smack herself on the forehead. She remembers feeling her face burn when the redhead laughs at her.
Brooke smacks the redhead on the arm. "Don't mind her." She said. "That's Rachel and she's a bitch."
"Takes one to know one." Rachel teases Brooke.
Brooke invites Millicent out for coffee with her and Rachel. Eager to make new friends, Millicent agrees.
They agree to meet at the Starbucks across the street at four o'clock.
Millicent is the first one there. She waits for fifteen minutes and remembers getting that sinking feeling in her stomach. She feels like she's going to cry. It hurts her to think that Brooke and Rachel would stand her up. She mentally yells at herself for being so stupid. She's standing up to put on her jacket when Brooke suddenly comes through the door. Rachel is walking behind her slowly. It's Brooke who's apologizing this time. She blames it on Rachel and the redhead doesn't deny anything.
A half an hour later Brooke and Millicent find they have a lot in common. They laugh and talk about movies, celebrities and school. Rachel is sulking in the corner. Millicent remembers trying to engage her in conversations but the redhead always has an insult to fling at the brunette. Brooke glares at her long time friend and Millicent remembers seeing Brooke kick Rachel under the table more than once.
Brooke excuses herself to the bathroom and leaves Rachel and Millicent alone. Millicent remembers thinking that, that was a bad idea.
Rachel, however, takes that as her opportunity. "You know Brooke is a good person."
Millicent nods quickly. "I know. She's really nice and funny too."
Rachel leans forward and flings her hair back. "She feels sorry for you. The only reason why you're here and not alone like you always are is because Brooke feels sorry for you. This whole entire 'let's get to know each other and be the three musketeers' is a pity party for you. Brooke has her friends. Me, Peyton and Haley. Bevin too. You? You're nothing."
Millicent remembers her eyes burning behind her glasses.
When Brooke gets back, Millicent stands up. She thanks Brooke graciously and tells her that she has to leave. She remembers that she's out of their so fast that she doesn't give Brooke the chance to reply.
She remembers crying herself to sleep that night.
Mouth remembers taking Brooke and Rachel to the airport. He was driving, Rachel was in the passenger seat and Brooke was sitting in the back. He remembers glancing at the two female teenagers and he smiles sadly, because he remembers having a distinct feeling, that this was the last time anything was going to feel normal again. He remembers pushing that feeling down and trying to make it disappear.
By the time he's listening to Rachel speak, she's already mid-speech about New York and how "absolutely mind-blowing it's going to be."
"'The city that never sleeps.'" Brooke quotes.
"Isn't that Vegas?" Mouth asks.
Brooke shrugs. "Who cares?" She laughs and then they're silent. "I'm kind of scared though."
"Of what?" Both he and Rachel ask.
"Of losing everyone. Of not making it. I'm scared that I'll wake up and realize that I'm not capable of doing this." Brooke tells them quietly. "I'm scared of changing for the worse."
"You are Brooke Penelope Davis," Mouth reminds her. "You have been through so much that you won't let yourself fail." He pauses and smiles at her through the rearview mirror. "You don't need to change Brooke because you're perfect the way you are."
He remembers seeing through the rearview mirror that Brooke was going to cry.
"What about me Mouth? I'm kind of jealous that you're not showering me with compliments." Rachel teased.
He shrugged and turned into the parking lot of the airport.
"You're one of the strongest people I know, Rachel. You can get through anything. So, when you're a model for Brooke's famous fashion line, you two have to remember where you came from. Remember all the little people back home, wishing you both the best." Mouth says. He remembers pulling into a parking space and he remembers turning off the ignition.
He doesn't remember much after that.
He doesn't remember lugging the suitcases through the airport. He doesn't remember Brooke letting out a squeal when she caught sight of the familiar curly hair.
He does remember seeing all of their friends.
Lucas and Peyton are holding hands. Skills has an arm wrapped around Bevin. Nathan and Haley are holding their son. Fergie and Junk are there, laughing with everyone. Brooke runs to Peyton and they wrap their arms around each other. Mouth remembers Brooke crying.
He feels arms wrap around his waist and leans back into Rachel. "I'm going to miss you Mouth." She says in his ear.
"I'm going to miss you too, Rachel." Mouth tells her.
He felt her nod and then she let go of him.
She and Brooke said their goodbyes and last hugs. The both of them hugged him at the same time. Catcalls and whistles followed. Mouth remembers the group laughing loudly at that.
As they prepare to leave, Mouth remembers saying one last thing. "Stay safe and remember us."
Brooke smiled sadly. "Like we could ever forget you guys."
Mouth stands back with the rest of the group and watches as the two teenage girls disappear. He remembers praying and hoping that Brooke and Rachel would keep their word. He remembers everyone leaving after that. Hands clapped him on the back. Gave him hugs but in the end he was alone. Standing in the same spot. He remembers coming to the sudden realization as to why he wanted Brooke and Rachel to keep their word. He remembers feeling alone and insignificant and he remembers never wanting to feel that way again.
Later on in life he wonders if that was how his first friend Jimmy Edwards felt. He also wonders if that was how Rachel felt like when she took a little bit too much drugs and overdosed.
Millicent would be the first person to admit that Rachel Virginia Gatina wasn't her favorite person in the world. That didn't change the fact that she was still nice to the redhead. She still looked after her. Even when she became a diva model that almost took Brooke's company under.
After the scene in the coffee shop, Millicent stayed low. For a week, Millicent stuck to her classes and studied hard.
Her brother always told her that she had the ability to become whatever she wanted to be.
She remembers when she was a little kid; she went through stages of what she wanted to be. She wanted to be an actor. She found that she had no acting skills. She wanted to be a singer. When her brother automatically placed hands on his ears, Millicent figured that she had no singing skills either. She wanted to be a doctor. She found science boring. She remembered wanting to be a reporter. She later decided that gossip wasn't really her thing.
Her brother always told her that they would find something just for her.
When she was six, her parents took her and her brother to see The Nutcracker. It was when she saw the dancers fly across the stage in perfect synchronization that she fell in love. It was hard not to. She remembers tugging at her brother's shirt. He looked at her and cocked an eyebrow. "I want to be a ballerina." She found that she was actually good at it.
She remembers that she stopped dancing a year after her brother died. It got too hard for her. So she quit. Hoping that her demons would leave her alone.
They didn't and she remembers walking around with the weight of the world on her shoulders.
Her job with Brooke starts off by accident. Kind of like their friendship. Brooke's line is starting to kick off and gain a steady following by the time the three of them are twenty. Brooke's mom is introduced to the picture and Millicent is instantly intimidated. Rachel is a model and often times she comes barreling into the photo shoots, drunk, hung-over, or high. Millicent quickly takes her into a room and does everything in her power to help Rachel look presentable. Rachel doesn't appreciate anything that Millicent does. Millicent remembers that she didn't mind that. She wasn't doing it for Rachel. She was doing it for Brooke.
When Millicent goes to see Brooke one day, in her new office, Brooke is a mess. Her office is littered with papers and the brunette looks like she's going to cry.
"I've gotten six paper cuts!" Brooke exclaims. She holds up her two hands and Millicent remembers wincing when she sees the Band-Aids wrapped around her friends' fingers. "I have a meeting in fifteen minutes and I'm a mess."
Millicent scratches her head and tilts her head to the side. "Go ahead and get washed up. I'll fix everything here."
"No." Brooke says. "I can't let you do that. I'm probably going to be late and this is going to ruin your night."
"It's okay." She tells Brooke. "I don't mind. Now go, before you're late for your meeting."
Brooke is out the door and Millicent starts organizing everything.
It's nearing four hours and Millicent is finally done. She admits that she went a little bit too far. After she was done organizing the paperwork, she tidied up Brooke's office and went down to the department store and bought things that she felt Brooke may need in the future.
When Brooke comes in, she's surprised and so happy that she bursts into tears. Through all the happiness and explaining Brooke pops the question. "Do you want be my assistant?"
Millicent remembers how happy she was and how happy Brooke looked when she said yes.
Mouth remembers when he was a little kid. His mom told him that one day he was going to be the best sport's announcer ever. He remembers being the happiest when his mom told him that he shined.
Mouth is thinking that his mother wouldn't be too happy with him if she saw what her baby boy was doing now.
He doesn't remember being this way…ever. He doesn't remember ever being this desperate. Except for the time that he begged Jimmy to come back. His pleas fell on deaf ears. Jimmy had been in the ground for three hours.
When he thinks about it, he doesn't like Alice. Sure, for an older woman she's pretty, but she's not who he dreams about.
He dreams about a tall redhead who one day may come back and tell him that she loves him.
He's happy when the group is finally together again. Except this time, he's pretty sure that the drama is tenfold.
They're at TRIC, because really, they always are… it's there place… well, TRIC and the Rivercourt, when Brooke introduces him to Millicent. He's seen and met her before at the opening of Clothes over Bros. She's Brooke's assistant. She's beautiful. Mouth knows that. He's not so sure if she knows that. He knows for sure that Alice knows that.
She makes him laugh and smile. Despite all of that he still can't help but think that there should be someone else in her place.
At the end of the set-up that was all Brooke's idea, Mouth's pretty sure that he broke her heart. He's surprised to find that his heart broke a little too. He remembers thinking that she's much more beautiful when she smiles.
Brooke's disappointed in him and he finds that he can't take that.
So, he owns up and becomes the man that Brooke knows he can be. He breaks things off with Alice. She's angry and tells him that his career is done. Finished. Over. He can't find it in himself to care because he thinks of his friends, his mom and Millicent. He doesn't want to sell out. He wants to be Marvin Leonardo "Mouth" McFadden. The nice popular kid.
Brooke gives him the napkin with Millicent's number and then promptly goes back to flirting with the bartender Owen.
Mouth smiles and remembers being happy that some things just don't change.
Ever since the death of her older brother, Millicent Gold has been afraid. She's afraid of hurting people. She's afraid of being hurt herself…again.
Mouth hurt her once. She was afraid to let him back in. But he gave her a shy smile and a small shrug and Millicent found herself diving in head first.
She's not stupid. She knows his past with Rachel, who was fired from Clothes over Bros. Brooke, cried to Millicent the day after she did it. And even though Millicent never really liked Rachel, she remembers being afraid for the redhead and what she was going to become.
Brooke tells her that she's taking Owen to New York and Millicent wishes her luck. She knows that Brooke likes Owen and even though she's not an expert on love or anything, she's pretty sure that Owen likes Brooke too. What Millicent doesn't expect, is for Brooke to come back to Tree Hill with Rachel on her arm.
It's at that moment that Millicent remembers thinking that Mouth was going to leave her for the redheaded model that he as a past with.
Because Millicent is pro at knowing that the past haunts you where ever you go.
She sets herself for disappointment. She has a feeling that everything is going to change now that Rachel is back. Why have plain Jane when Mouth could have a top model?
She knows that she's right when Mouth doesn't kiss her. She knows that she's right when he ditches her at the engagement party for Lucas and Lindsey.
Brooke pats her on the shoulder and tells her that everything is going to be okay. She reassures her that Mouth loves her. Not Rachel…at least not anymore. Millicent pretends to believe her friend.
When Mouth finally does make it to the party, Millicent decides that it's time to let him in on past secrets. She doesn't break out the big guns. She doesn't tell him that when she was sixteen years old she saw her brother die. She doesn't tell him that he still haunts her at every twist and turn. Instead she tells him about she does to boys she likes. She realizes that it's childish and stupid but she forgets about all of that when Mouth pulls her in and gives her a kiss.
Millicent remembers feeling hope.
Mouth tries to remember how he got to this point in his life.
A few years ago, he would have given anything for Rachel. In some ways he did. The night of the engagement party when Rachel came on to him, it was everything he had ever wanted. Had being the key word.
When he was with Millicent that first night at TRIC, he thought about Alice, of course, because she was there glaring at him and watching his every move. He also thought about Rachel and he remembers how he wished Rachel was in Millicent's place.
He doesn't think that anymore, because once he refused Rachel, it was like he was set free. Then Rachel left, and he did feel bad. He really did, because in his heart he knew he would always care about Rachel, but not like he used to. Of course, Rachel being Rachel, she came back. Right after Brooke gave birth to a baby boy. Owen, the big bartender, cried. Brooke called him a softie, but no one was fooled because she was crying too.
Rachel got clean. Mouth was pretty sure that she thought him and Millicent weren't going to last.
Mouth, for the first time in his life was happy to prove Rachel Virginia Gatina wrong.
A year after Brooke and Owen had Milo, Mouth asked Millicent to marry him.
Millicent said yes.
Rachel spat out her water.
Before their wedding day, he remembers Millicent telling him about how she saw her brother die. He held her while she cried and told her that everything will be okay.
"I've heard people say that so many times," she told him, "But when you say it…I believe it."
Six months after Mouth and Millicent got married, they found out she was pregnant.
They had a baby shower. Everyone was invited.
While Mouth went out to the garage of the small house that they had recently bought, Rachel followed him. "Can I help you with anything Rachel?" Mouth asked.
Rachel shrugged and leaned against the wall. "I just always thought it was going to be me. You know, married to you, with the white picket fence and the 2.5 kids." She sighed. "You know, it still could be."
Mouth shook his head. "I love Millie, Rachel. You…you're part of my past. I will always care about you because I consider you a friend but Millicent and our baby are my present and future."
Rachel nodded slowly and looked at him with tears in her eyes. "I guess green isn't my color, is it?" She walked away from him.
Mouth remembers feeling relief.
When Millicent finally gave birth, Mouth was right beside her, holding her hand and telling her things that obviously didn't help much, but she was grateful anyways.
She was sweating and breathing heavily but she remembers Mouth telling her that she looked beautiful. She laughs and then winces when a contraction hits again.
After a painful 12 hours later, a loud scream pierces the air. When the doctor places a pink bundle in her arms, she's speechless.
Mouth settles himself next to her on the bed and looks down at his wife and their new born baby.
"She looks like an Annabel." Mouth says. He touches her soft black hair.
She remembers nodding and smiling. "Annabel McFadden."
They're cooing at their baby when everyone comes piling in the room with presents and balloons.
Lucas and Peyton are there, holding hands. Nathan and Haley are there with their son Jamie. Junk and Fergie are smiling and looking at the newborn. Skills claps Mouth on his back. Mouth jerks forward by the force. "If y'all are getting married and havin' kids, I guess I should get started then huh?" No one mentions the lack of one blonde in the room. Brooke and Owen are there with their son in his father's arms.
Millicent remembers seeing a tall redhead at the door and she locks eyes with her. She motions her head forward and Rachel slowly but surely enters the room. Millicent realizes that Rachel looks uncomfortable and a little bit jealous but the redhead smiles nonetheless and places a small teddy bear on the chair that is already overflowing with gifts.
"Congratulations." Rachel said.
Both Mouth and Millicent nod and smile. "Thank-you." They say simultaneously.
"They're even speaking at the same time now!" Brooke squeals. She turns to her husband. "How come we don't speak at the same time?" Brooke places a kiss on Milo's cheek and ruffles his hair.
"You talk enough for the both of us." Owen teases Brooke. She sticks out her tongue at him. "Real mature Brooke. You're a bad influence on our son."
"Says the bartender."
They all laugh and Millicent realizes that this is what it's like to be part of something great.
She feels Mouth put his arm around her shoulders and he held her close.
Both of them stared down at their daughter in wonder when she opened her light brown eyes at them.
Millicent remembers feeling the weight of the world finally lift off of her shoulders.
Mouth remembers feeling content.
They both come to realize eight years and two more kids later, that they have really good memories.
Okay so I'm done. It's my first Mouth/Millicent and I hope that everyone likes it! Reviews are greatly appreciated. I hope everyone liked it.
I want to give a BIG shout out to everyone who reviews on my last one-shot. You guys are absolutely amazing, you know that? I love you all and it means a lot to me. I hope this one does justice to the show we all love; One Tree Hill.
Thank you all again!
Yours Truly
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P.S. I'm really sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes! The title is taken from a title of a song by Explosions in the Sky, awesome band, you guys should check them out!