DISCLAIMER: I don't own the songs or the characters, except for Meredith.
Song 13: S Club 7: 'Best Friends'
I stared at the paper in front of me, Mrs. Appleby's words running through my head. "Write a short essay about your best friend and explain why they are your best friend." "This isn't going to be easy," I thought to myself.
'Best friends can be defined in many different ways by many different people. Some view their best friend as the person they've known the longest. Others the ones that have been there through everything they've done. Still others would say their best friends are the people they trust with their secrets without worry. Then there are the ones that say their best friend is their boyfriend/girlfriend. Their best friend could be the person they can't imagine their life without. Asking me to describe my best friend is a tough assignment.
I have a lot of friends. That's an amazing thing for me to say. I have always been known as the shy, reserved guy; one that never let his emotions get the better of him.
I have a girlfriend, Kimberly. She could be called my best friend because we tell each other pretty much everything and we are comfortable with each other. We talk about everything that's bothering us. We love each other.
I have a best guy friend, Jason. He's been my friend since I first moved to Angel Grove. We share similar interests, like martial arts and sports. He has always been my friend, despite what obstacles have been thrown in our way.
Of course, I don't think those two can be considered my 'true' best friend. That title probably goes to my sister, Meredith. We are twins. We have a connection that is really difficult to describe to someone who doesn't have a twin. I have a connection to Kimberly, but with Meredith, it's different. It's a link that can't be broken, no matter what. Meredith knows me better than I know myself. She knows exactly what's bothering me, what makes me tick. More than once, she's provided insight to our friends regarding my normal, brooding nature. It's amazing that two people who are opposites can be as close as Meredith and me.
Meredith compliments the people in my life. I can ask her to tell me what Kim means when she does certain things. I can ask her to help me make important decisions by asking her what she thinks about them. If Jason wasn't my friend, I could deal. If Kimberly wasn't my girlfriend, I could deal, but that would be really, really tough. If Meredith wasn't my sister, I'd be lost. I know how to live my life without them in it, but I don't know how to live without Meredith in my life.
So to answer the question, my best friend is my twin sister Meredith Oliver. She knows what I'm thinking, she knows my moods and she listens. Meredith never judges me or questions my decisions. I may, one day, have to learn to live without Kimberly and Jason, but I will NOT learn to live without my sister.'
Song 14: Blessid Union of Souls: 'I Believe'
Love was what everything boiled down to in her life. Meredith was in love. She was in love with her brother's good friend. She was in love with Rocky DeSantos. There was just one problem, Rocky's mom.
Meredith and Rocky were together in high school. They held hands, went on dates and were genuinely affectionate with each other, especially if they thought no one was around. Meredith loved the kid-like nature of him at times and then there was the boyish charm that she found irresistible.
Enter Rocky's mom. Rocky is from a large, Hispanic, Catholic family. Meredith was an adopted child with a twin brother and attended a Protestant church. When Meredith and Rocky were just friends, before Jason, Zack and Trini moved away, Rocky's mom was glad to have her in her home. When Meredith and Rocky went on their first date, things changed.
Rocky's mom had visions of her oldest child marrying a nice girl from their church. One that had a large family and could appreciate what it could offer. When Meredith and Rocky got serious, Rocky's mom couldn't picture Meredith being a mother and feared she'd talk Rocky out of having children. She told him as much.
"My son, she's not what I pictured for you. Don't you want a nice girl who understands your heritage and your commitments to your family," she said.
"Meredith understands all that. Just because she's adopted doesn't mean she doesn't have a strong family background. She has a brother, one with which she's very close. And frankly I'm surprised that you would even suggest running my love life. If I want to see Meredith, I will, mom. I love her and she's in love with me," Rocky said.
"I just think she's all wrong for you," his mother said before leaving the room.
After that, Meredith was greeted warmly by the entire family, but Rocky's mom. She tried her best but she felt Meredith was going to ruin Rocky's life. Right after graduation, Rocky proposed. While everyone else was excited for the couple, Rocky's mom caused a scene.
"You cannot marry her. She's not good enough for you," she screeched.
Meredith's face paled. She had just gotten a marriage proposal from her soul mate and his mom is acting like a total shrew.
"Mrs. DeSantos, Rocky has told me your feelings and he didn't stop seeing me because of them. I love him without hesitation and would do anything for him. I'm sorry I'm not 'good enough' for your son. He's a much better person than you. I'm sorry you feel this way," she said before rushing outside.
Rocky glared at his mother. "How could you? I'm picking up my stuff tomorrow and moving into a new place. I can't stay somewhere where I can't be supported. Good bye, mom," he said.
Rocky's dad stared at his wife in disbelief. Their oldest son had decided he was going to move out and his mother was to blame.
Rocky found Meredith sitting on a rock overlooking the lake. "You can have the ring back if you want. I wouldn't want to make your mother mad," she said.
"I don't want it back, I want you," he said. "I have an idea. Since my mom won't warm up to this marriage thing, what do you say we elope and live our lives our way," he asked.
Meredith pondered the thought for a minute before nodding her head in agreement. Rocky kissed Meredith and off they went to put their plan in motion. "You do know that I have to tell Tommy. He'd kill you if I didn't," she said.
The next day, Meredith was staring at her ring finger, unable to believe what had happened in the last twenty-four hours. She had been proposed to, yelled at by her husband's mother, yelled back and then eloped with Rocky. She had been Mrs. Rocky DeSantos for nearly 16 hours.
Rocky loaded the last of the boxes into his truck and turned to his wife. "You ready," he asked. "As ready as I'll ever be. I have everything I could want right here," she said. Rocky kissed her, held her door open for her and shut the door. When he got into the truck he sent his patented Rocky smile and off they went.
Song 14: Blessid Union of Souls: 'Forever For Tonight'
"Don't go, please," he said.
"Why not," she asked him, her eyes searching for the answer she hoped she would find.
"I can't give you forever, but I can give you tonight, one night. No promises, no distractions. Just you and me and the most perfect night of our lives," he said, holding out his hand to her.
She thought about what he had just said. She knew he was going away and she might never see him again. That alone was enough to send her crying into her pillow. It was also enough to get her to stay. She was going to stay and damn the consequences. She reached for his hand, placing her smaller one into his much bigger one. She felt him tug her along, not knowing what the morning was going to bring.
"Forever for tonight, I will be here. I will hold you and love you as perfectly as I can. We have to try. I have too many feelings for you to let it go. I can't go with Tommy tomorrow and not have something wonderful to come back to. I can't go with him never knowing if we would work out. I love you too much to just walk away from you," he said.
His confession warmed her heart, but also saddened her. He wanted to be with her because he loved her and he was just as scared as she was the he might not come back. She wanted nothing more than to have forever for tonight. She wanted to make those promises to him, regardless of the outcome tomorrow.
"Forever for tonight, I will be there," she said.
He wrapped her into his arms and kissed her. A kiss so tender, yet holding so many promises of love and forever. She had found what she needed. Even if he didn't come back, she had forever for tonight.
"I love you, Meredith," he said.
"I love you, too, Rocky," she said.
Song 16: Boyz II Men: 'End of the Road'
"You know that we're meant to be together. Look at everything we've been through," Jason Scott pleaded with his wife, Meredith Oliver-Scott.
"I know we THINK we're meant to be together, but I can't do this anymore. I can't take not knowing what's going to happen from one minute to the next. You promised me that you wouldn't do this anymore. You weren't going to try and be a hero any longer. I need you with me," she said, blinking back her tears.
Meredith Oliver-Scott and Jason Lee Scott had been married for three years. It was, for the most part, a very happy marriage until the secret missions started occurring. Meredith's twin brother, Tommy, had started gathering the former red leaders for clandestine missions to defeat evil whenever it seemed they would need more firepower to win. Meredith hated worrying about her brother, but the added stress of worrying about her husband, was taking its toll.
Meredith was leaving. She was packing her bags and leaving her husband. She was finished. She was tired of feeling like she was going to be second to whatever harebrained idea her brother came up with to save the world. She was tired of worrying about him and tired of worrying about Jason.
Jason watched his wife packing her bags, powerless to think of anything to convince her to stay. "I won't go," he said, suddenly.
"Yes you will and that's the problem. Your loyalty and love of being a ranger is causing me to take a back seat in your life. It's not fair. I understand Tommy's commitment, he's a different breed. But you… I expected much more from you. I expected you to say that you were done with that and you were ready to start a family. I can't keep putting my life on hold because you might be going on a mission. I'm sorry Jason, but I'm leaving. I can't live like this any longer," she said.
She zipped up the duffle and grabbed her purse and keys from the dresser. She headed out the door but stopped and turned back to face him. She looked into his eyes and saw the pain and the love. Meredith knew her own eyes reflected the same emotions, but she couldn't go back. She couldn't return to the limbo state she'd been in for the last year and a half. Her right hand went to her left and twisted off the engagement and wedding ring Jason had given her. She grabbed his hand and placed the rings in them.
"I'm sorry, but this is the end. I can't do it anymore. I love you, but sometimes, love isn't enough," she said. She placed a kiss on his cheek and went down the stairs and headed out the door. When the door shut, Jason collapsed on the bed he had shared with Meredith and cried. His heart ached because she wasn't there and he was powerless as to how to get her back. He had the ability to morph and defeat evil and travel to the moon, yet he couldn't save his marriage.
Maybe that's why he didn't deserve the power any longer.
Song 17: Goo Goo Dolls: 'Iris'
She stared out over water, not exactly sure why she was here. She had been walking and ended up on the covered bridge overlooking the lake. She felt like she had been pulled there, but she didn't know why.
He watched her from afar. He wanted to touch her, to let him know that he was there, but he couldn't. He could never again touch her.
She kicked at the post on the bridge. She was suddenly very angry and didn't want to be here. She was numb. She'd been numb for the past six months and no one, not even her best friends, could help her. She often wondered if she punched the wall, would she even feel the broken fingers she would have. She turned around and headed back to her car, feeling like she was being watched. She also felt the tears brimming in her eyes and there wasn't anything that she could do to stop them.
He watched her body language change. She was angry and he knew he was the cause of it. He wanted to make her feel better, but, again, he could not. He could only watch and see the beautiful woman he loved change.
She made it to her car before she started sobbing. It was a heartbreaking site to anyone that might see. Her heart was broken and no was going to be able to help her. She heard her cell ringing and pulled it out of her purse.
"Hello," she said, trying to sound normal.
"Hey, where are you," he asked.
"I got distracted and went to the lake," she said.
"Guessing that was a bad idea," he said.
"Yeah, I'm on my way home. I need a hug," she said.
"I'll be here," he said.
She ended the call and dried her face with the back of her hand. She turned the car on and pulled out of the parking space. As she drove past the tree, where she and the gang used to hang out, she said softly, "I love you, Tommy. Where ever you are, I hope you know that."
Song 18: Christina Perry: 'Jar of Hearts'
"What the hell are you doing here," I practically screamed. My heart was in my throat and I was suddenly very thirsty. I was amazed the sentence came out of my mouth. I was so shocked that he was standing at her door.
"I asked your brother if he would tell me where you lived," he said.
"Tommy's a dead man. Why would he tell you," I asked my irritation obvious.
"He didn't. I found out from Adam. I've come to take you back," he said.
I faltered at his words. 'Take me back. He's the one that broke up with me.' I thought to myself.
"What are you talking about? You broke up with me because you didn't love me any longer. Now you're coming here and telling me that you want to take me back? What's up with that," I asked, now angry at his assumptions.
"Look, you and I both know how good we are together. We should just get back together and everything will be fine," he said.
"NO! You said you loved me and you were never going to leave me. You said that I meant the world to you. You told me that I was the girl you wanted to spend the rest of your life with and then you up and leave. I don't get anything from you but an 'I'm sorry, I don't love you anymore,'" she yelled at him.
"I was wrong. I want to get back with you because I realized that I am miserable without you," he said.
"Do you have any idea what I went through when you left? It took me forever to get my life back. I was so used to having you around all the time that I didn't know HOW to live alone. I finally got that back and realized that I should NEVER live my life totally for another person again, unless it's me," I said.
He stood there and stared at me, not really believing what I was telling him. Before he could respond I started in again.
"For a while I wish we had never met, but then I wouldn't be the woman I am today. I wish we had never kissed, held hands, dated, any of that. It took me forever to be comfortable in my own skin. Tommy said I didn't smile with my whole self for months. I finally get my life back and I've moved on and you want to take me back. Who do you think you are," I challenged him.
"I'm the guy you love and are going to marry," he said simply, like it was the only answer.
"No, I don't think so. I've got a wonderful guy in my life. He will do anything for me. He loves me for me. I'm a whole person again and I did it without your help. I don't need you and I don't want to be with you. Who do you think you are," I said. I turned on my heel to walk away, but suddenly turned back around. "I used to wish someone would treat you as cruelly as you did me, but then I realized that wasn't the thing to do. I now hope that you have to learn to live as if you're half a person. Just going through the motions of the day and having the standard conversations. I hope feel how I did for the last year," I said.
He stood in the doorway. "I'm sorry, but I love you. I've been only half a person without you. Please," he said. His dark eyes were begging me to answer with a yes, but I couldn't bring myself to do that. I didn't love him and I finally accepted that and moved on with my life.
I put my hands on the door and motioned for him to back away. "Don't come back for me again. I'm in love with another person and I would like you to leave. Don't come back at all," I said, shutting the door with a firm click. I leaned against the door, willing myself to return to normal. I was shocked at what had happened, but realized I was a better person for it. Just then, my wonderful boyfriend came in the back door, having completed his run.
"What's the matter, Mer," he asked me.
"Nothing. Nothing at all. I just realized that I missed you," I said. I kissed him and his arms immediately went around me. He kissed me back and pulled me into a hug.
"Jason stopped by, didn't he," he said. I pulled back like I'd been shot. "How did you know," I asked.
"Adam told me Jason was asking about you. He knew Tommy wouldn't tell him anything, so he asked Adam. Adam asked me if he should tell him and I said yeah. You needed closure and I thought he could give you that. Feel better," he asked.
"Better than better," I said and I meant it.