AN: I am looking forward to watching the most recent storyline between Jay and Abi unfold. I hope she says yes, even through I don't like the thought of him using it as a ultimatum to get her to stay, marry me or we are over. This is why I am going to write my own version of the up and coming scene, which is only based off the spoilers seen in the TV Guide and on the internet as the episode airs today and I wrote this two days ago and just needed to get a look at her ring and sort out a couple of details before posting.
Holding onto our love with both hands
Abi frowned as she reached the closed door of Mitchell Autos, the sound of Eminem and Rihanna singing I love the way you lie was blaring loudly from inside. She was wondering as to why Jay had asked her to meet him at the Arches. She noted that he had sounded somewhat off since he had found out she had been accepted to study in Costa Rica on a scholarship. He had not exactly gone out of his way to avoid her, but he was definitely more distant in the last couple of days ever since she informed him of her education opportunity.
In fact when she really thought about it she realised Jay had been acting odd well before she had told him about her scholarship, more like since a couple of months ago when Heather had been murdered. She wondered about that, whether it was because he knew her more than someone in passing who had lived nearby, or was it due to her having been Shirley's best friend. Or worse yet, a thought that had crossed her mind more than once, was it down to the fact Heather's murder had managed to spark memories of his father, who had also been murdered?
Her frown deepened even as she thought with a sickening dread whether he was about to dump her or not. Would he, would he really dump her because there was a possibility that she would choose to leave the country and him to take up the once in a lifetime opportunity, however briefly? Her hands visibly trembled as she took in a shaky and shallow breath at the thought of losing him; it was a truly crippling thought to her. She loved him so much, that the thought of him no longer wanting her filled her heart and her stomach with a sickening ache.
She stopped and took a deep breath before reaching out to open the door, knowing it to be useless to knock when Jay had the music blaring so loudly. She opened the door and found that Jay was bent over the open hood of a red sports car. She knew the only way to get his attention was to go and turn down the music herself as she worried that if she approached him and end up startling him then he would bang his head on the hood of the car.
She walked over to the stereo in the corner of the garage and turned it down so it was only a low hum in the background, deciding that total silence before either of they even spoke was not something she could stand right then. She contemplated his choice of song, even though she knew that Jay was an Eminem fan, this song spoke volumes about the current mood of her boyfriend she realised with instant worry.
Jay soon noticed that his music was no longer blaring and looked up to see his girlfriend standing nearby looking clearly nervous. He cleared his throat and put down the tool he had been using and reached for and grabbed the nearest rag and wiped the grease as best as he could off his hands. He threw the rag to one side as he walked up to her and smiled gently as he placed a gentle kiss on her jaw and said softly, "Hey Abz." His smile and the tone he used said more than any words ever could to Abi.
"Hey" she replied as she worried her lower lip between her teeth and looked up at him. He sighed and said, "Abz, will you go wait inside the office while I go and clean up bit as there is something I need to ask you?" Abi looked at him questioningly before reluctantly nodding and making her way over to the office and went inside before sitting down on the nearest chair to wait for him to join her.
Abi became even more nervous and fidgeted in the chair as she waited for him to return, which he did five minutes later looking somewhat cleaner. It was as she looked up to study him she noted he looked just as nervous as she if not more so if that was even possible. What did he have to feel nervous about when it was he who was the one to call her and not the other way around?
Abi asked when the silence dragged on for a couple of moments longer, long enough to make her feel uncomfortable under his intense looking gaze. "Why did you ask me to come here when I haven't spoken to you in three days ever since I told you about the scholarship I was offered?" He sighed tiredly before he replied, "Because I needed time to think Abz, what you up and told me came right out of no bloody where without warning."
He paused before adding, "I needed to think about whether or not I could manage without you for eight long weeks, especially after I told you how I didn't know how I would manage without you with me." He added, "Then I got thinking about whether we need to cut ties now to save us a shit load of misery. I've had enough misery in my life Abz and don't need more, especially over losing you."
He held his hand up to stall her when she opened her mouth to speak and said, "Hold on a minute Abz, there is still more I need to say." Abi reluctantly nodded and closed her mouth as she gave her silent consent for him to go on. He placed his hand in the left pocket of his jeans and appeared to be fiddling around with something inside as he thought of what he could say next, choosing his words very carefully.
He closed his eyes briefly then opened them, looking her straight in the eyes as he told her, "I thought about whether or not we should just split, but when it came down to it I could not do it, I don't want to lose you I love you too much, which is when it came to me." Abi asked, "When what came to you?" Jay replied, "When the idea of how you can still go to Costa Rica and we can still be together." Abi asked, "How?"
Jay walked up to her and stood in front of her and reached down to take her hands into his and held them as he replied, "I love you Abz and don't want to be without you as you're what is keeping me going lately as a lot of shit I can't tell you about has been happening and you are the one true thing in my life that is good and untainted, a good thing I can't lose if I can help it."
He added after pausing to look deeply into her eyes as if memorizing their colour and shape and after another moment or so he said, "I have an idea of how I get to keep you and guaranteed that when your scholarship is over after eight weeks that you will be willing to come home to me and I will be here waiting for you, even if you refuse I will still be here, even through you accepting will give me something to look forward to while I wait."
Abi eyed him in puzzlement as she asked, "What do I need to do to convince you to wait for me, and to not go off and find someone else the moment I am gone, to make you believe that I will always find my way back to you, Jay? I will because I love you so much and don't want to lose you anymore then you want to. So tell me what do you have in mind that will make it so we can both have what we want?"
Jay took a deep breath as he let go of her hands and reached into his left pocket of his jeans before pulling out a little black velvet box, causing Abi to freeze as she watched him lower himself to the floor in front of her and bend down on one knee and open the box holding it out in front of him. He cleared his throat, glancing at her nervously but also with so much love and need that it positively took her breath away. He said, "I think you know what I am about to do, but I am going to say it anyway."
He pauses once more as he watches Abi become quite pale as she continues to eye the little black box he held out to her. "Look Abi I know we are still really young, you in particular, but I know age can't come between us if we love each other as much as we say we do. I love you Abz and I am willing to wait the eight weeks for you to complete this scholarship and come home to me, but I want to wait for you knowing you're not my girlfriend but my fiancée."
He took a deep breath, eyeing her nervously as he added, "I want to know that even if we are thousands of miles apart, that when you do come that it will be to me." He paused once more trying to pluck up the courage to ask her as he watched her eyes widen in stunned and total disbelief at what he was asking her. He said, "I love you and want you to be my wife, so will you marry me Abz?"
Abi's hands were visibly trembling as she shakily lifted her right hand up to her mouth as she eyed the simple but beautiful ring laid nestled in the white fabric of the box. It was a small circular solitaire white diamond mounted in the centre of a solid golden band. It was made even more beautiful for its simplicity and none showy nature and Abi could not help but love it on sight. She could not help but love Jay and be strongly tempted to say yes, regardless of what it represented and how the fact of how young she and Jay were and how her parents would react kept going through her mind rapidly over and over again.
Jay was starting to become nervous as she eyed the ring and remained silent. He cleared his throat and said, "Look I don't wanna force you or give some kind of ultimatum here, I am not that much of a bastard, Abz." He added, "I was thinking if you said yes then we could go to the nearest registry office with your parents, your sister and Billy and get married once you return from Costa Rica. Then when you have finished school in another year before you start your studies again to be a vet, we could get married again and have a proper wedding."
He reached up and scrubbed a hand across his face and said, "It is not like I am suggesting you get pregnant as I am not ready for that anymore then you are. Marriage I think we can handle, but not a baby, at least not yet anyway." Abi snapped out of a stunned stupor and nodded before she made her decision knowing she really did love him and was willing to take the chance. She said, "Yes I'll marry you, but we need to hide this until I can tell my mum and dad, my dad especially will be hard to convince."
Jay beamed widely before leaning forwards and kissing her passionately on the mouth before he pulled back enough to remove the ring from the box. He held it out to her and gestured for her to hold out her left hand so he could put the ring on her. He took her hand in his and gently slide the ring over and down onto her left ring finger where it came to rest looking perfect.
He smiled loving at her as he gently lifted her hand to his mouth and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles and then reached up to take her face between the palms of his hands and covered her mouth with his softly and lovingly. He could hardly believe his luck and knew that this was the easy part out of the way; the hard part was convincing her parents, Max in particular. They needed to convince him that as long as he and Abi love each other they did not see themselves as too young to get married. Besides it was not like they planned on making him and Tanya grandparents anytime soon, hell even he was not ready for that, never mind Abi and her parents.
They slowly pulled apart and his lips gently brushed hers one last time before he rested his forehead against hers. Both relished the perfect moment of peace and quiet knowing that as soon as her parents became aware the situation would be anything but peaceful and quite. Plus Jay relished the time he had with her just in case somehow she end up finding out about his involvement with Heather's murder. He knew he would hate and never forgive Ben if he lost Abi. It was just that you don't ever grass on the Mitchells, especially when you now have their last name and are considered one of them.