Story is set during the summer after Season 3 and before season 4.
Jen stood before her bed in somewhat of a confused state. Her eyes observed the disheveled pieces of clothing that bathed her bed, and overflooded her suitcase. She sighed heavily before wandering over towards the suitcase. She picked up a clean black long-sleeved top and held it out in front of her. Going back to New York was something she'd always wondered about..but now that she was going to be visiting her parents, she wasn't sure how she felt. Suddenly there was a knock at the door.
"Hey." Jack greeted her carefully, offering a small wave as he stepped inside.
"Jack, hey." Jen said to him as she lowered the black shirt back into her suitcase.
"Grams says that dinner should be ready in ten." Jack wandered over towards the bed and took a seat near a pile of clothes. "And something tells me that you're having trouble packing."
"Gee, what gave it away?" Jen mused as she took a quick look at the piles of clothes. "I take it that you're all done packing?"
"Yes..and as the gay guy here I'm not sure whether or not I should take offense to not having finished packing last." Jack laughed a little. "Are you excited?" He was, he'd never been to New York before. He was looking forward to it...it would be great being with his best friend.
Jen lifted a quick eyebrow as a response before she took a step to her drawer. Pulling out a few articles of clothing, she began. "Jack..I'm not even sure if returning back to the cesspool of sin and sex that I once so fondly knew of as New York is a great idea." A little bit stressed, Jen stuffed the clothes into the suitcase and tucked loose strands of soft blonde hair behind her ear.
"Don't worry about it Jen, you're a different person now." Jack reassured her.
"Yeah." Jen stated plainly. "..I know, but.." Unsure of how to phrase things, she swallowed gently.
Jack moved from his position on the bed and stood behind her protectively. Wrapping his arms around her waist securely, he let his chin rest onto her shoulder. "Listen to me Jen,
alright...you've changed..you're no longer that self-destructive girl who-who was shipped off to capeside.." Jack gave her a small squeeze.
Jen smiled a little as she let her hands rub Jack's pair. "I know..it's just I'm afraid that if I surround myself with those things again that..maybe this transformation I had won't be seen as so permanent.."
"It won't." Jack said. "Besides, I'm going with you...I won't let anything like that happen."
Jen laughed as she gently broke away from Jack to pick up another piece of clothing. "Thank you Jack, I appreciate your offer as serving as my bodyguard from all things deleterious and destructive." After finally deciding on what she would wear the next day, she moved to try and zip her suitcase. Jack stepped to her side and had sat ontop of it so that she could zipper it. Once it was, she set it on her floor.
"No problem, only if you return the favor by acting as my one and only hostess around the streets of New York." Jack said.
"But of course." Jen answered. "Oh..and don't worry if you have any qualms about not getting to experience what New York has to over concerning gay culture, you can dispel them."
Jack swallowed a little uncomfortably as he lifted both brows. "Great.." Unsure of what to feel, he plopped down on Jen's bed.
Jen looked to him with a bit of confusion as she sat herself beside Jack's sprawled out body. She looked over to him and rested her hand on his taut stomach. "Do I detect a hint of reservation?" She asked.
"Yeah...reservation...proponence..opposition...is it possible to feeling all three?" Jack asked as he let his arms hang above him and over the edge of Jen's bed.
"Yes, Jack it's possible." Jen laughed a little, finding it sort of cute. She couldn't wait to help Jack explore his sexual identity...she didn't want him to be scared. "Now it's my turn to tell you not to worry. Jack, it's ok to be scared. Alright, I'm here...and if you feel uncomfortable or anything you can take it slow...there's no urgent need to rush into anything."
Jack nodded and kept his view on the ceiling. His stomach was already doing flips at the thought of possibly taking part in this gay culture that Jen spoke of.
"Besides, who knows, maybe you'll find someone. Next thing you know, Ethan'll be nothing more than a distant memory." Jen relaxed her body so that she was now laying with Jack, her head on the crux of his shoulder. Letting her index finger trace lazy circles about his broad chest,
she nuzzled her head into the comfort of his shoulder.
"..Yeah." Was all Jack could say...a million things rushing through his head. Jen did have a point..now that he had experienced his first kiss with a guy, he wasn't so scared of maybe pursuing a relationship with one. He'd taken that tiny step and now he was ready to take more towards finding out who he was and what type of person he wanted to be with.
"Right." Jen said, her reservations also running rampant through her mind. After seeing her mother at Thanksgiving, she was sure that things were somewhat settled between them. Visiting her wouldn't be dreadful, right? And her father...well, her father was another story. At least she was going to have Jack by her side.
As the two of them lay snuggled against each other upon Jen's bed, pondering the not-so-distant future, a voice came thundering up the stairs into the upstairs hallway.
"Jennifer! Jack! Dinner's ready!" Grams yelled.
The next morning, Jen and Jack had been at Grams' car. Loading the luggage into the trunk, two familiar blonds had approached. It was Andie and Dawson.
"Jack, oh my god this is so exciting!" Andie exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her brother "When you get back, you have to tell me everything that happened..and I mean everything..do not leave any sordid detail unsordid."
Dawson gave a small laugh at Andie's accustomed perkiness. He moved closer to Jen and let his look fall upon her. "So..is the former prodigal daughter from New York ready to return to the land from whence she came?"
Jen lifted her head a little as a small smile painted her rotund features. "For right now how about I leave it at a "I'll get back to you?" Jen rubbed her exposed arm as she had turned to face Dawson fully now.
Dawson nodded his head with a grin. "Fair enough." He tucked his hands inside of his pockets as he turned to throw one more look to Andie and Jack. "Well..for what it's worth, I hope you find what you're looking for."
Feeling a little touched, Jen removed her hands from the curvatures of her hips and embraced Dawson in a heart-felt hug. Closing her eyes, she uttered. "I'm gonna miss you."
As the two withdrew, Jen looked into Dawson's eyes with great sincerity. "Despite what you may think, and at the risk of sounding cliche...you'll be fine too, Dawson." Jen rubbed his arm in reassurance. After what had happened with Joey running off to Pacey a few weeks prior...Jen was just a part of the group that helped console Dawson's heartbreak.
"Get going you...wouldn't want you to be late for your over-due homecoming." Dawson replied, partly in an effort to change the subject. He'd been dealing with what happened with Joey...and tried to keep his mind off of the fact that Joey had chosen Pacey over him in a sense.
"Ok." Jen said, as she walked with Dawson back to the car where Jack, Andie, and Grams stood.
"Alright, you two...we best be departing soon...your bus leaves promptly at 12 P.M." Grams said as she opened the car door to the driver's side of the vehicle.
"Promise to call as soon as you get there?" Andie told Jack.
"Promise." Jack said before giving her a sweet kiss on her cheek and embracing her once more.
After Dawson and Andie had exchanged their goodbyes with Jen and Jack, the two stepped inside of the car and headed off to Boston in order to catch their bus.
Once Grams had arrived, she pulled the car to a stop. Jen and Jack got out of the car to retrieve their luggage. With a carry on bag and a rolling backpack serving as their gear, Grams escorted them to the bus terminal.
"Now, Jennifer...call me as soon as you get there. And let your mother know I say hi." Grams kept a hand on Jen's shoulder as she and Jack stepped inline for the bus that departed for New York.
"Duley noted." Jen told her.
"Alright. I want you two to be safe..understand?" She looked to Jack and then Jen. She moved along with them as the people in front of them had now begun giving their tickets to the bus driver and boarding the large Greyhound bus.
"Don't worry Grams, Jack here has agreed to be my mindful bodyguard." Jen gave her ticket to the bus driver who ripped a portion of it away and handed it to her.
"...Alright..." Grams started to say...doing her best to try and withhold the tears that were threatening to escape her eyelids. With one last effort, she embraced her granddaughter into a genuine hug. "No matter what happens...know that I and the good Lord are with you." Grams gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. She knew that dealing with her parents wasn't anything easy for her in the past..but hoped that this trip would bring peace with her.
Jen let out a sardonic huff of laughter, noting how predictable Grams' and her beliefs could be. Nevertheless, she returned the hug. "I won't."
Grams then turned to Jack who had already finished handing his ticket to the bus driver. As Jen had given her tagged piece of luggage to one of the workers, Grams had also given a heartfelt hug to Jack. After returning the hug, Jack turned over his piece of luggage and stepped beside Jen.
"Bye Grams." Jen said.
"Later Mrs. Ryan." Jack said after her.
"Goodbye you two." Grams gave a wave as Jen and Jack had now boarded the bus. Clasping her hands together securely beneath her chin, she knew that she was going to be praying for the both of them that night.
Finding two plush seats vacant and next to each other, Jen tossed her heavy carry on in the overhead hanger and took her seat at the window.
"Hey, I was gonna take window." Jack said in an amused tone.
"Sorry, called it in the car." Jen rushed her words and took her seat.
"No you didn't!" Jack protested after placing his carry on in the overhead hanger.
"Oh, Jackers I most certainly did...it can't be my fault that you lack the necessary psychic power to hear my thoughts." Jen almost laughed at how ridiculous that was and rummaged through her small bag.
"Oh, give me a break. I call it on the way back." Jack made sure to relay.
Jen finally found her cd player. Placing it on her lap, she took in a small breath as she noticed the bus driver now boarding the bus and preparing to depart.
"How long is the ride again?" Jack asked and repositioned himself simultaneously trying to find a comfortable spot.
"Six hours." Jen told him, putting the headphones over hear ears.
"..Oh, that's just great." Jack almost groaned...oh well, it couldn't be too bad...he was hoping that they'd play at least a movie. "Are you ready?" Jack said as he felt the bus begin to move.
Jen looked over to him with a stoic look, and with that turned her head to look out the window.