Jolene

Summary: She knew. She couldn't deny it. And so it came down to this.

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the characters

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One of the ladies I work with listens to Radio 2 all day and Dolly Parton and Jolene came on today. It's been stuck in my head since and I've been singing it all evening. Somewhere along the line this came into my head. I am in no way suggesting this is true, the feeling I get from what I've read is that it certainly isn't but this is just a little fanfic. Apologies if this is a little experimental for some tastes however I have named no names.
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Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you please don't take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don't take him just because you can.

She knew. Of course she knew. How could she not?
Their chemistry was obvious, their friendship incredibly close.
She wasn't stupid. And she wasn't going to deny it. What would be the point? Denial really wasn't the highly effective coping mechanism her husband's TV show made it out to be. She knew that if she wanted she could most likely have him. Take him.

Your beauty is beyond compare
With flaming locks of auburn hair
With ivory skin and eyes of emerald green

She was beautiful, she couldn't deny that. Far more beautiful than she herself had been, even back when she was young. Back when he had fallen in love with her. What if he had fallen out of love in the last twenty years? What if he had fallen for her instead?
A woman whose ivory complexion belied the existence of wrinkles, whose body showed no signs of age or weariness despite not being that many years younger than she was.
A woman without roots that needed redoing, hair that needed styling. Whose hair was always that little bit blonder, that little bit more natural looking than hers had been for a long time.
A woman with enchanting eyes, incredibly expressive in their shades of blue and green. Her husband's eyes were like that too and maybe that's why the two of them were able to communicate so well without words. It had taken years of love and marriage for them to find that connection. How had she and her husband known how almost instantly?

Your smile is like a breath of spring
Your voice is soft like summer rain
And I cannot compete with you, Jolene

There was no way she could compete with that woman. Her million dollar, megawatt smile. Her perfect body. She was always immaculate; perfectly groomed and turned out. So soft-spoken, polite and friendly. There really wasn't a thing wrong with her and that made it even harder. How could she compete with a goddess?

He talks about you in his sleep
There's nothing I can do to keep
From crying when he calls your name, Jolene

He had always slept talk. He'd done it since the first time she spent the night back in college and it continued throughout their marriage. It didn't often wake her anymore and mostly it was intelligible or simply nonsense but she heard with crystal clarity when he said that name. Her name in his sleep. Moaning and mumbling and dreaming of her.
It wasn't fair. She didn't want to know she was in his head, his subconscious. In his dreams as well as his daytime. Even if it was true she didn't want to hear the proof. Proof that left her pillow damp and salty. She couldn't help it. Even if it was natural to mention someone you spent so much time with while sleeping it didn't make it any easier to hear. It wasn't just once. It wasn't just her name in a sentence or a monotone. He called her name, spoke to her and the tears fell because she wanted to be the one he was dreaming of.

And I can easily understand
How you could easily take my man
But you don't know what he means to me, Jolene

It was oh so simple if she wanted to. Men were easily led, she knew that. Her husband was no exception really. She believed he wouldn't. Hoped he wouldn't. He did love her after all, love their marriage, their children, their family. But mystery and intrigue, change and excitement always drew him in. And they got along so well, had that friendship, that connection. She could snap her fingers and everything would come crashing down around her. More than two decades of marriage, years and years of love, a solid relationship, a happy family, a way of life, a fairytale. She couldn't possibly know what she was doing if she did do such a thing. She didn't know how much he meant to her. He was the love of her life, her surprise, her talented ambitious young man, her boyfriend, fiancé, husband, the father of her children, her soulmate. If she knew, she couldn't possibly, could she?

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you please don't take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don't take him just because you can

'Do you know any Dolly Parton songs?' she asked her. Euphemisms were probably the least painful way of having this conversation.
'Um...a couple.'
'There's this song...feels like the soundtrack to my life right now.'
'Is it nine to five? I heard you've been busy lately?'
Heard. So they talked about her.
'No. Jolene.'
'Oh.'
'You know it?'
'Yes.'
'I'm not saying there's anything...'
She understood immediately, cutting in, her voice sharp. 'There isn't!'
'I know how you feel about him.'
'You don't. Or you would know there is no way anything would ever happen.'
'I know what it's like to be in love with him.'
She swallowed.
'Please, please just don't... I loved him first.'
'I...I can't believe you think I'd... God.' She looked like she was about to cry. Or be sick. She had gone very pale. 'He loves you, you're married.'
'And you're beautiful.'
'I have to go.'
She saw the tears spilling down her face, her own following seconds later, as the younger woman turned away, hand over mouth. Had that really been the right thing to do?

You could have your choice of men
But I could never love again
He's the only one for me, Jolene

She could have any man she wanted she was sure. She was drop dead gorgeous, beautiful. She had the perfect face, perfect body. And, to add insult to injury, was a genuinely nice person. Sometimes it was damn hard to dislike her. Men must flock to her, stare and watch her anywhere and everywhere. Could she really want the only man that had noticed her. The man who had stopped on the stairwell all those years ago, when she was the only one there. Who had watched her every minute she was on stage in every rehearsal and every night of the show they were in together, and pretended he didn't. Who stuttered and stumbled and ducked his head sheepishly for seven years. Who pursued her doggedly despite everything life threw at them. Who loved her and she loved more than she could ever have imagined. There was no one else. There couldn't be.

I had to have this talk with you
My happiness depends on you
And whatever you decide to do, Jolene

She debated whether to say something for so long. But she was desperate. Her life, her happiness depended on that woman. She held her fate in her hands, or lips. If she thought she could scare her off, threaten her, warn her away, she would. But it was past that, if it had ever been possible. The only route left was appeal.

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you please don't take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don't take him even though you can

She didn't think she really would. She wasn't that person. But she knew she loved him too and love made people act of out character.
She didn't think he could. The way he loved her, looked at her, spoke of her to other people contradicted all her fears and yet they were still there.
She had never felt like this before. Ever. No one had ever unsettled her the way she had. If anyone could ever possibly take him, it would be her.

Jolene, Jolene

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Thanks for reading. Please leave a review however you feel about the fic.
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