*Reviews are much appreciated!
*PLEASE READ: This is the eleventh and final installment to "Meant to Be". I hope you enjoyed reading the saga as much as I liked writing it. If you weren't able to read every part, I will be posting the entire thing with each part as a chapter, plus two extra shorts that are related to the story loosely.
*I may start a spinoff later on, (soon-not sure when exactly) that will involve the children of all the main characters in this saga. I have big plans for it, it's not going to be the same theme or tone, but I think it will be fun to read. If anyone wants to give me any suggestions as to what they'd like any of the stories to be about, I will appreciate them very much and more than likely use them.
*This story takes place 10 years after part VIII, and 27 years after parts I&II.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meant To Be:
-Part IX: Destiny Without End-
Chapter I: Jimmy Departing
-THEN-
This was the day that Miley Stewart came home from filming her movie "Indiana Joanie". The day she would be shocked by what she found out about her two best friends Lilly and Oliver.
"Go get changed and we can head down and get sick to our stomachs together." Lilly said. "Yep, nothin' says welcome home like a case of explosive nacho rhea!" Oliver said, trying to be funny. Lilly laughed at the joke, Miley didn't understand why. Lilly hardly ever laughed at Oliver's jokes. "You two are disgusting! I miss that." Miley said, hugging them. She ran upstairs to get changed.
Oliver leaned over to Lilly. "How long ya think she's gonna be?" he asked. "I dunno, ten, fifteen minutes." Lilly guessed. Oliver looked around to see if anyone else was around. "Ya thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" he asked, smiling. Lilly looked at him, smiling back. Then they leaned in towards each other, Lilly putting her hand around Oliver's waste and Oliver putting his hand on the side of her cheek. They began to kiss. Just then Miley came back down realizing she forgot something, only to walk in on her two best friends in the middle of a passionate and very unexpected kiss. She covered her mouth in silent disbelief.
Later that day they where having lunch at Rico's beach side shack. Miley was trying to prove she was not too immature to handle the fact that Lilly and Oliver where now dating before she revealed that she already knew and they wouldn't have to find a way to break it to her.
"Oliver you are so considerate. Isn't he considerate? And he's cute too!" Miley said. "What!?" they said in unison. "Yeah, being gone really opened my eyes, you are one cutie patootie. And you're no slouch either. You know what you…you guys should date… And then not tell me about it!!" Miley said angrily. "I think she knows." Oliver whispered a little dully to Lilly. "How'd you find out?" Lilly asked. "Maybe the next time ya'll wanna keep a secret from me ya shouldn't have a spit swap meet in the middle of my living room Lillypop!" Miley shouted.
"So how did it happen?" asked Miley. They began to explain that they were at a beach party and when it got time to slow dance nose-whistle Wally was going to try to dance with her so Lilly grabbed Oliver. And that's when they had this moment of clarity where they realized they had a thing for each other. "So that means whatever song you guys danced to is your song, what was it?" Miley said. "It was Radiohead… it was Coldplay." They said at the same time.
Arguments ensued due to the fact that neither of them could remember which one it was. The truth was they were both so distracted by each other that night that neither of them really knew which one it was. Then they began to argue about what they did on their first date, ice skating or a movie. In that argument Lilly was right, they had gone ice skating before they went to see a movie. But she honestly didn't remember either. They were so crazy for each other that day, it was hard for either of them to remember what happened when. They would always be crazy about each other but that day was their first day. By the end of the argument they both stormed away, broken up as a couple, and torn apart inside.
The rest of the next day Miley contemplated ways to get them back together. She knew that since they were just starting to date it would be harder to get them back to being just friends than it would be to get them back to being a couple. So she finally came up with the idea to make a video that would show them that they were foolish to throw away what they had together over a simple case of forgetfulness, on both their parts.
That night she had fooled them into both showing up at her house by telling them that they were getting to see the rough cut of her movie and that the other one was not. They both got there and where immediately angered. But they were forced to stay and watch the video. At the end Miley had some heartfelt advice.
"Look I don't know if you were meant to be a couple, but I do know you where meant to be friends. And please I do not wanna watch you throw that away over this fight." Miley said. But the truth was they were indeed meant to be a couple. They were eventually meant to fall in love, and they were meant to be husband and wife, and then mother and father. And what was meant to be came to be. They were destined for each other.
They wasted no time apologizing to each other. And just like that they where back together the way it was meant to be. Later that evening Lilly and Oliver prepared to leave. They stood in the door, Oliver with his arm around Lilly. "Hey Miley, thank you." Oliver said. "You're the best friend ever." Lilly said. "Yes I am." Miley agreed. "This is a little weird for you, huh?" Oliver said. "Yes it is." Miley replied. "We should go." Lilly said. "Yes you should." Miley said. "We're out." Oliver said.
They walked part of the way across the deck after the door closed. "Oliver, ya thinkin' what I'm thinkin'" she asked him through a smile. He was. They held each other close and shared a long passionate kiss. "You know if Miley knew we were still out here and we were doing this she would freak out." Oliver said in a whispering voice. "I don't care." Lilly said, causing Oliver's heart to do a back flip. They began to kiss again.
Miley caught a glimpse of this. She did not stop them, she did not want to tamper with her friends' relationship anymore. She hadn't known a few hours ago, but she knew now even if they didn't, which in the back of their minds they did, Lilly and Oliver being together was meant to be.
-27 Years Later-
-NOW-
"Jimmy, Jimmy, wake up Jimmy!" Lilly Oken yelled up to her sleeping seventeen year old son. "I'm… I'm up." Jimmy said groggily. "Jimmy, you need to get dressed where heading out to you campus in a half an hour." Lilly told him. "I'm going to college mom; I'm not saving the world, I think it'll wait till I get there. And I asked you to stop calling me that." Jimmy said. "Fine, JIM, get dressed and get downstairs and help us pack your things into the moving van." Lilly responded. Jim was going to college to study to go to medical school. He was extremely smart and an all around nice person.
Jim Oken pulled on an undershirt and a pair of shorts. It was a hot California day and he was going to be doing a lot of hard work moving his things to his college dorm room. He jogged down the stairs to where all of his things where gathered together to load into the moving van that his father Oliver had just backed up to the garage door.
He turned around as his beautiful fifteen year old sister Rose walked down the stairs. "All that eye make-up makes you look desperate Rose." Jim teased her. "I liked you better when you long hair!" Rose said. "That was five years ago." Jim said. "I know, you where cooler then!" she stabbed back at him. "You where ten, we were best friends then, and you thought I was superman." Jim said, as he hoisted two very heavy suitcases under his especially muscular arms, trying to prove he still was superman. "Show off!" Rose said. "Less talk, more work you two." Oliver said as he entered the room. "Nah, you're still cool, I just liked the long hair!" Rose said. "Thanks little sis!" Jim said.
"You guys are too petty!" said Michael, their thin, cocky, thirteen year old brother. "You're not the only one that can lift things Jim, see!" Michael said lifting two empty plastic crates onto his shoulders. "Impressive, Mike!" said Robbie Rod Stewart, Jacksons son, with a smile as he entered in front of his father. The crates began to slip out of his grasp and fell to the floor. "You're such a dork Oken!" remarked Susan Stewart, Miley's daughter, smiling at him, as she walked in with her mother.
"I told you when they where little, that crush Mike and Susan had was just a phase, and I was right!" Miley said as she walked in. "Don't be so sure Miley. That's how I was towards Oliver when we where thirteen." Lilly said.
They slowly but surely got everything into the moving van. Jim hoisted most of the heavy things into it. Mike was careful with everything he carried. So he managed to only break a few light bulbs. Of course they all gave him a hard time.
"Michael can you grab that last bag and then we'll be done." Jim said to him. Mike did as he was asked and they were done loading his brother's things.
As it was time to go a somber mood fell over them. For the Okens it was their brother or oldest child, he was leaving them for the longest time he had ever been away from them. And he wouldn't be back again. At least not in the way that they were used to. He would no longer be living with them. He would be home for the holidays of course, unless he wanted to stay with new friends he met at school.
For the rest of them it was a great friend, leaving them, which they had come to know and love over the years. They knew they were going to miss him. What with his power workouts and his cool attitude, and his ability to be there for any one of them whenever they needed him.
"So how are you gonna make it without your girlfriend, Alice?" Rose teased Jim. Mike made a mocking sad face at him. "Very mature you guys! I already said goodbye to her. We both agreed that we'd keep in touch and someday we'd try to get back together." Jim responded maturely. "You know she's gonna see other people, right?" Rose said. "I know, and so will I, can we just drop this." Jim said, starting to cringe a little. He was trying to hold in his tears until he was alone.
They all prepared to part ways. The Okens where all going to see Jim off, so it was time for the rest of them to say goodbye to Jim. "Good luck Jim, I'm glad you didn't turn out to be a donut like your dad." Miley said as she hugged him. "Hey, I heard that!" Oliver pouted.
"You'll make a great doctor, Jimbo!" Robbie said giving him a one armed hug. "Make us all proud Jim." Jackson said, shaking Jim's hand. "You've always been such a special person; I know you'll make lots of good friends in college." Marlene (Jackson's wife) said. "We all love you Jim, make sure you visit lots. I'll try not to pick on your brother too much!" Susan said as she stretched up and hugged him.
"You have to call whenever you can Jim!" said Sam, Jim's best friend. He was going to a different college, which was only a half hour away from Jim's, so they had agreed that they would be visiting on weekends when they could.
And that was that. The Okens all piled into the cab of the moving van. Mike slipped and fell out and had to hold back tears. He didn't want to look weak or something.
When they got to Jim's dorm room they were all ready to get out of the car. It had been a long hour and a half's ride to get there. Once again when Mike went to get out of the car he slipped and fell onto the curb.
It took them a solid half hour to get all of Jim's things into his room and put them where they belonged. And after a brief tour of the campus it was time for the Okens minus Jim to go home.
Lilly cried as she hugged her son goodbye. "I'm going to miss you so much Jimmy… uhh Jim. You have to stay in touch with us a much as possible. Call us every night before you go to bed, ok?" Lilly said through light tears. "I won't. But I will try to call every weekend or send home a video message, for a while at least, till I get used to life here." He replied with a pretend macho attitude, when really he was fighting back tears too, because he was going to miss his family and everyone back in Malibu.
Rose came up to him next. "Don't do anything too crazy, but have some fun." Rose said hugging her older brother. "Be safe and be cool, big bro!" Mike said to him. "You too, little bro." Jim said giving Mike a big hug. "Make us all proud, and remember you're Smokin' Oken! By the way I think those girls that walked by where checking you out." Oliver said, then he hugged his son. Jim blushed. "I'll see you guys soon." He said.
They all waved goodbye and then got back into the car. Mike slipped but didn't fall when he got into the car. On the way back they talked about how much they would miss him. "Don't cry Mike! It's ok." Rose teased him. "I'm not crying, I've got something in my eye!" Mike retorted. They all laughed, except Mike. "No really. I do have something in my eye." He insisted.
When they got back home they all stood around for a minute in the living room. "It feels so different without Jim here." Rose commented. "It's gonna take some time to get used to." Lilly said.
Just then Miley and Susan popped in. "So did everything go alright? Is Jim settled in?" Miley asked. "Yeah but now we have to figure out what to do now that he's gone. I mean it's not like we won't be busy or something. It's just there's going to be one less kid in the house." Lilly said.
They didn't notice that Mike and Susan where off talking to each other about school and other things like how Susan wanted Mike to learn how to surf.
"Well you could try to do some of the things you always wanted to do, but you were just a little too busy to do." Miley said. "Like what?" Oliver asked. "I don't know have fun, have an adventure, do some vacationing before the summer is over and Lilly has to go back to teaching school." Miley said.
"I have an idea!" Oliver said enthusiastically. "What is it?" Lilly asked. "It involves throwing caution to the wind. Things that really get the blood pumping and the adrenaline rushing." He said. "Ok, I'm listening, you've got my attention." Lilly said.
-To Be Continued-
Notes to the Readers:
*I hope you enjoyed this, the eleventh and final installment of meant to be, so far.
**I will post part two fairly quickly, I just thought it would be a good idea to split this into two parts so it wouldn't be too long. So make sure you pay attention for the second chapter, because most likely I will post it only hours after this one.
***This part is kind of a sample of what the spinoff saga will be like. It was more a saying goodbye thing. That won't really be the feeling of the new saga. But it kind of gives you a very rough idea of what the characters will sort of be like. The storylines will be much different than this one and hopefully (likely) very interesting.