Dirty Dancing Havana Nights: One Shot
**Disclaimer: I do not own DD:HV or any of the characters, licenses, etc. **
This is a one shot about Javier Suarez and Katey Miller. It takes place almost 5 years after Katey returns to America. During her daily walk along the Florida shores where she stares off into the distance and wishes her beloved Javier would come to her, she gets an unexpected surprise.
Nearly five years had passed since her adventures in Havana, Cuba. Katey tucked Junie into bed and told him his favorite bedtime story in Spanish, because she had practiced and learned for the last few years. It was the story of his father, Javier Suarez, and how he and Katey would dance together in the hot Havana afternoons at La Rosa Negra. She regaled him with the story of how they had become King and Queen of the Cuban dance club. Junie fell asleep smiling. He was always excited to hear about his father. It broke Katey's heart that he often asked when he would be coming to find them. She always had to answer that she didn't know. The Cuban government wasn't exactly keen on allowing passage back and forth from Cuba to the Americas.
She smiled down at her sleeping child and walked out of the room. Every night, after she had put him to bed and told him the story, she would go for a walk out on the beach. Florida was as close to Cuba as she could get, and therefore, as close to Javier as she could be. She had written him many times, but to no avail. Her letters always were returned to her, especially in the last year. That never stopped her from trying. It's also the reason why she moved to Florida in the first place. If she couldn't get her letters to him, then she would stare out across the ocean praying that God would somehow reconnect them.
Junie couldn't sleep that night. It wasn't long before he was up. After all, his grandparents and aunt had come to visit for the summer. They were still up talking in the kitchen, so he decided he would crawl up in his grandmother's lap to listen to their conversation. It didn't take him long to figure out that they were talking about his father.
"I just don't understand why he never wrote her or called," said Jeannie.
"Mom, don't be so hard. Her letters to him were always returned. Maybe they got lost in postage. It happens all the time here, so it could happen there, too."
"Honey, it's more likely that he just moved and didn't tell her where he was going. I mean, didn't you ever think that he could have been using her?" Jeannie tried to push reason.
"Hey!" Junie shouted. "That's my daddy! He loves Mommy! He's just having a hard time getting here! Mommy told me all about the mean man that won't let Daddy leave!"
With that he jumped out of Jeannie's lap and ran for the door. Darting outside, he ran to his little wooden play house that his grandparents had built him. He called it his hide-out. The trio of adults had followed him long enough to see where he was hiding and decided to let him cool off there for a while.
A little later, Suzie stepped outside to smoke a cigarette while she spoke with her father.
"Do you think Mom is right, Dad?"
"I don't know," he replied, "it's not for me to say. I can't speak for him. But it does make me wonder."
"HE WILL BE BACK, YOU'LL SEE! THEN YOU'LL HAVE TO SAY YOU'RE SORRY!" Junie asked as he ran towards the beach. As he ran he bumped into one of two men that he hadn't seen get out of a car that was now pulling away.
"Woah, where are you going, little guy?" the man asked Junie.
"Woah," Junie said distracted by the man's accent, "You sound like some of the Latinos around here! Where are you from?"
"I am from Cuba."
"Woah! That's where my Daddy is from!" he said. "Well, hola! Mi nombre es Javier pero todos me llaman Junie!"
"Hola, Junie. Encantada de concerte. Tell me, is this where Katey Miller lives?" The man asked.
"No, it's where Katey Suarez lives, but my Grandpa is right there, he might know where she is."
"Who are you talking to, Junie?" Bert asked when he noticed that Junie was now out of hiding and talking to some random man.
"Somebody looking for Katey Miller, Grandpa. Can you help him?" Junie responded.
"I'll take him inside while you two talk," said Susie.
"Really? Who are you?" Bert asked.
"Senor Miller, is that you? It's me. Javier" the man said.
"Javier? It really is you, isn't it?"
"Did Katey get married?" Javier was apprehensive about the sudden change in name, and now there was this little boy roughly the same age as the time lapse has been. Thoughts were flooding his mind, but when his brother's touch came on his shoulder he found his resolve. "Is she here? Can I see her?"
"Ah, no." Bert paused. "That is to say, she's down at the beach at the moment, but you're more than welcome to see her. But no. She isn't married. When she found out she was pregnant, she changed her last name." He paused again, "Who's this with you?"
"Oh, this is my brother Carlos. My whole family was able to come to America with me. We are all citizens now."
"Wow. That's some good news. Well, Carlos, why don't you come inside and get something to eat or drink. I think Javier and Katey need to have a conversation."
"Thank you, sir." Carlos replied.
Javier found his way down to the beach where the failing light shone on Katey's pale complexion. It made her look like an angel. She was practicing the routine from the competition. He slowly made his way toward her. She never heard him approaching.
When he was close enough to touch her, he whispered into her ear, "May I have this dance?"
She whirled around and stared at him in disbelief before throwing herself on him in an enormous embrace. He spun her around and around until they fell into the sand smiling and crying.
"I can't believe you're really here! I thought I was dreaming for a minute there." She said with emotion overwhelming her words.
"I'm here. I'm really here. Me and my whole family made it. We are American citizens now. But there is something that I have to know," he paused, "Do you still feel about me the same way that you did? And who is Junie's father?"
"You met Junie?" She said with excitement in her voice. "I thought you would have figured that out. You are his father. I love you, Javier. We have been waiting for you for so long!"
"I have a son?" Javier was lost for words.
"Yes, we have a son. He's named for his father. He dances like him, too," she said nudging him a little as they both sat upright in the sand.
"Why did you change your name?"
"I didn't want anyone to think that I was available. James already tried to take advantage of me once. I thought that if everyone thought that I had a husband in Cuba, then no one would try to mess with me." She said.
"You would want to marry me?"
"Of course. Why not?"
"I don't know. I just thought," he paused.
"You thought that the distance would have kept us apart?" she filled in the last of his sentence.
He shook his head in the affirmative and leaned in to kiss her, but they were interrupted by a little voice on the wind.
"Mommy! Mommy!" Junie shouted.
Before Junie and Suzie were close enough to hear, Javier asked, "Why do you call him Junie?"
"Javier Suarez Junior. Junie is what we call him for short." She smiled.
"You missed me that badly that you gave him such a terrible name?"
They both laughed heartily. Little footsteps got closer and the four-year-old Junie flopped his arms around his mother's neck.
"Can you come in now? We have visitors and they speak Spanish like us! Please, Please, Please?" Junie begged.
Javier laughed at the memory of Katey trying pitifully to apologize for spilled drinks. As if to read his thoughts, she laughed in unison and nudged him again.
"Junie, I think you already met Mr. Javier, but there's something that you should know." Katey began.
"I already know!" Junie interrupted. "He's my Daddy! You said my Daddy's name is Javier and is from Cuba. So, when I met Mr. Javier from Cuba looking for Katey Miller, I thought that it had to be him! Who else could it be?"
Javier had tears in his eyes. He looked at Junie again and this time didn't let his mind discredit the significant resemblances that he shook of as coincidence in their first meeting.
"It is good to meet you, again, son," Javier said to Junie.
"I love you, too, Dad." Junie said.
The three of them sat on the beach until the light was completely gone. Junie had fallen asleep in their laps. The two long lost lovers carried their sleeping son into the house and planned their happily ever after.