Title: You Left Some Stars In My Belly

Author: MCMGM

Characters: Jeff Buckley, Kristen, various other.

Rating: M

Content: Language, mild violence, strong sexual content, drug use.

Disclaimer: Only own Kristen and any other fictional character. Everyone else owns themselves.

(A/N) Based in an AU.

New York City, 1993

The sun started to set, making way for an even hotter night. A young woman paced around her Upper West Side apartment, a phone attached to her ear. She walked past a vanity mirror; pictures of her with family and friends, taped to the corners. 'Kristen and Sandra' was scribbled on one of them in fat, black magic marker.

"No…I have a TON of work to do tonight…I know I haven't but I…Yes but…Yes…No but…Alright alright!" Kristen slammed the phone down in anger. She had been stressed out as it was at work, the last thing she needed was for her best friend to bother her about going out to some stupid club.

Kristen groaned as she rummaged through her closet, trying to find something to wear. It was already close to 7:30 and she was supposed to meet Sandra in an hour. After finding something suitable, she knocked her work papers to the side and sat everything on the bed.

She quickly shed her hot and itchy work suit and jumped into the shower. The warm water felt good on her achy neck and back. It had been a while since she took a minute to really enjoy a shower. Over the last few months, she had been so busy with work. A promotion will do that to you. Kristen got out of the shower and put on her robe, she was towel drying her hair when she caught sight of the clock.

"8:03? Ahh fuck." She sat down in front of her vanity table, and grabbed some make up. She put on some light red eye shadow, which brought out her chocolaty brown eyes. She threw on some clear lip-gloss, which made her lips look fuller.

She slipped into the black dress she had picked out, slid on her boots, grabbed her purse and dashed out of the door. Kristen HATED being late for anything. It was the perfectionist in her. In her haste, she completely forgot to bring her jacket. But as hot as the evening was, she didn't need it.

A few minutes later she stood in front of Sin-e, the place she was suppose to meet Sandra. The neon sign heated up her face. It felt strangely good.

"Hey!" Sandra yelled from behind Kristen.

"Don't do that!" Kristen yelled back at her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

Kristen just rolled her eyes.

"Are you ready to go in or what?" Sandra asked.

"Might as well." Kristen responded without the least bit of interest. She and Sandra walked to the entrance, flashed their respective and walked in. Sin-e wasn't a very big place. It was a small café, with a few tables and chairs scattered about.

"You dragged me away from my work…for THIS?" Kristen whispered with an unsatisfied raised eyebrow.

"Oh come on, do you have to be negative about everything?" Sandra pushed her into an unoccupied booth and squeezed in.

"Move over!" Kristen yelled as Sandra sat on top of her, slightly. After a few seconds of bitching back and forth, they ordered some drinks.

"So?"

"So what?"

"So, what is so special about this place?"

"Why does it have to be special? Why can't you just enjoy yourself?"

"I want to know why you dragged me down here? There better be a good reason for it. I have a shit load of work to do and…"

"Kristen, SHUT THE HELL UP!"

A few patrons turned around and looked at the women. Kristen, wide eyed, attempted to act as if the sudden noise wasn't coming from them. After they looked away, Kristen drew her attention back to Sandra.

"Are you out of your fucking mind?"

"You asked for it, you have been doing nothing but bitching ever since I called you. I can't ever take you anywhere anymore; you never want to hang with me. You used to be my best friend, now you treat me like dirt. That shit sucks, man." Sandra said as she slammed back her tequila shot.

"I…I'm sorry. I have just been so stressed out with tons and tons of work assignments lately. I didn't mean to take it out on you. Friends?"

Sandra thought it over for a minute, but finally gave in. "Friends."

Suddenly a man's booming voice filled the small room

"Oh we're rolling? My goodness. Is there any reverb to roll with? He wants it." the sound tech toyed with a microphone, testing the audio levels.

"And to answer your question, this place has some really kick ass bands."

"Where do they play? There's no room in here."

"There."

"Where?"

"There." Sandra pointed toward a dark area of the room.

"I can't see anything."

Sandra rolled her eyes, "Just wait a second."

Just as Kristen was about to say something else, the sounds of feet stomping and hands clapping became increasingly louder. The patrons slowly started to turn their attention to the sound.

"Be your husband if you'll be my wife. Be your husband if you'll be my wife. Be your husband if you be my wiffeeee. Love and honor you the rest of your life."

Finally a light flickered on in the darkened corner and the person who the voice was coming from could be seen. He wore a white, thin t-shirt. Black pants and boots. Keys hung from his hip, jiggling along with every foot tap. Even sitting down it could be seen that he wasn't very tall. Somewhere in the 5'7'' region. He had dark hair, cut close to his head at the sides and all over the place at the top, as if he had just woken up. He continued to slap at his thighs, his eyes closed, singing the Nina Simone cover.

"Don't you treat me so doggone mean. Please don't treat me so doggone mean. 'Cause you're the meanest woman I've ever seen, well…"

Everyone in the crowd was clapping along by this point, everyone except Kristen. She was too mesmerized by his face to hear anything. Chiseled, gaunt bone structure, pouty red lips, smooth milky skin. This man, whoever he was, was a sight to be seen.

"Hey!" Sandra slapped Kristen in the back of the head. "Pay attention."

"Sandra, if you put your hands on me again, I swear I'm going to…" Kristen was interrupted by the crowd clapping; the first song had come to an end while she was busy fighting with Sandra.

"Thank you." The mysterious man humbly laughed toward the floor. He finally looked up for a second, and Kristen could see his eyes. Those soulfully deep brown eyes. He looked back toward the ground as he introduced himself.

"I'm Jeff, this is my first night playing here. Um, I hope you enjoy some of these tunes." He picked up an acoustic guitar and strapped it on. He leaned into the microphone:

"Another song by somebody else..."

The opening chords to Van Morrison's 'Sweet Thing' filled the room.

Sandra perked up "Oh, I LOVE this song!"

"So do I." Kristen said as she watched him.

"And I will stroll the merry way, and jump the hedges first. And I will drink the clear, clean water for to quench my thirst. And I shall watch the ferry-boats and they'll get high. On a bluer ocean against tomorrow's sky."

Sandra sang along as Kristen sat, entranced by his chanteuse-like voice.

"And I will never, NEVER grow so old again. And WE will walk and talk in gardens wet with rain. OH SWEET THING, SWEET THING."

"My, my, my, my Sweet Thing. Wooo, yeah!" Sandra danced around, drawing Jeff's attention in between verses. When Kristen saw him look at her, her gaze shot down to the ground.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Is he still looking over here?"

"No."

Kristen leaned back to discover that Jeff was in fact, still looking over at them. She shot her head down again, and Jeff laughed over the mic.

"Looks like we have a shy one."

Everyone in the place laughed. Kristen punched Sandra in the knee for lying to her and embarrassing her.

"Oww! What the hell did you do that for?"

Kristen got up and headed for the door, with Sandra in hot pursuit. Well, limping pursuit.

"Kris…oow…ten ..where…are…you…oow…going?"

Just as Kristen's hand touched the cool steel of the doorknob, she was stopped by a voice. His voice:

"Hey sunshine, where do you think you're going?"