A/N: Ok, let me start by making a few points, the first one being that I absolutely adore Elli. Out of all the HM girls, she was the one I could relate to most, and she's just so sweet, kind, cute, smart and motherly. And my heart goes out to her losing her parents and having an unrequited crush on the Doctor for what appears to be a long time. Alright, second point being that my story is quite serious in nature and there is sex…nothing too graphic, but it's still there.
Lastly, this is quite lengthy, so I am telling you now that it's not gonna be a fluffy, little story. Nonetheless, I hope you read it to the end and let me know what you think. I've worked hard on this.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon, plain and simple.
Blue Moon
The most wonderful day of the year was approaching, and it was all Elli could do but feel excited. She was certain the Starry Night Festival itself delighted her, but perhaps this wonderful feeling inside of her was also due to the still lingering bliss of being a newlywed. She and Jack had gotten married the first week of Fall, and the couple was enjoying married life together, learning about each other and loving the time they got to spend together.
Elli had always enjoyed the holidays, but they were always more joyous when spent with loved ones. She glanced over at her husband eating breakfast at the kitchen table and smiled nostalgically, remembering the first Starry Night she spent with him. It had been last year when they were dating, and she had felt incredibly nervous due to a number of things.
'What if he doesn't show?'
She had been rejected by someone she cared about before, and although that incident with Doctor Tim hurt quite a bit, it would absolutely break her heart if Jack didn't show up.
"Don't worry," her grandmother, Ellen, had told her. "Jack isn't that sort of young man. He'll come."
'What if Stu misbehaves?' Elli had questioned with a frown. She knew her little brother very well, and knew he wouldn't hesitate to play and roughhouse with houseguests.
"I've spoken to Stuart and told him how important this was to you," Ellen continued. "He promised to be on his best behavior."
'What should I make for dinner? Oh, I hope he likes my cooking…'
"He will," Ellen had reassured her. "I'll help you with dinner, and Jack will love it, I promise."
'Do you think he'll have fun with us?' Elli inquired shyly.
At this question, Ellen gave her granddaughter a look of playful disbelief. "I think he enjoys our company, my dear. He visits quite often, and you know there have been times when Jack spent hours entertaining Stu. And he enjoys listening to my stories of the olden days…"
Her voice had grown softer. "And…I do believe he enjoys spending time with you since he is courting you. Don't worry so much, Elli. Everything will be fine."
The wisdom of the elderly woman proved to be true, and Elli remembered the night of Winter 24 to be one of the best nights of her life. Never mind that Stu had said too much about the Doctor turning down her invitation every year. Seeing him play, laugh and wrestle with Jack had deeply warmed her heart, and a part of her deep down thought that Jack would make a good daddy someday…
Blushing, she glanced over at Jack again. She had mentioned having a baby with him, and they had talked about having a big family someday, but…
"Honey?"
Jack looked up from his plate, his mouth full of hot, delicious pancakes. "Hmm?"
Elli paused from washing the dishes to look at him shyly. "You know the Starry Night Festival is tomorrow, right? Let's celebrate together. I'll cook a special dinner…and maybe later we can spend some…quality time together…" Her cheeks were a bright red by the time she finished speaking.
It was moments like these that made his wife incredibly cute, Jack noted mentally, and smiled at her. "I wouldn't miss it, baby."
He brought his empty plate to the sink and washed it, despite Elli's insistence that she'd take care of it. He kissed her cheek. "Thanks for breakfast. It was really good."
Elli dried her hands on a dishtowel and smiled up at him. "Really?"
She felt him wrap his arms around her, his embrace warm and tight. "Yeah," she heard him say cheerfully, and smiled again as she laid her head on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.
"Thank you…"
Jack kissed her hair, thinking of how considerate she was to make pancakes, knowing the fact it's his favorite breakfast. But then again, she was always sweet like that, remembering even the littlest things about the ones she loves. It was this remembrance and thoughtfulness that'd make her a good mother, Jack thought. And he knew how much she wanted to be a mother, to raise a family with him and help care for the beautiful children they'd have. He didn't know if it was the moment they were sharing right now, the warmth of her body, or thoughts of the timid way she let him know she wanted to be intimate, but he found himself asking quietly, "Do you want to try for a baby tomorrow night?"
He felt the quickened pace of her heartbeat against his abdomen. "Yes…" he heard her whisper happily. "I really do…"
"Alright," he whispered, stroking her hair, then her back and down to her waist. He grinned at the thought of it. "We'll see if Jack Jr. arrives soon enough."
Elli pulled back to look at him, but burst into a fit of giggles as her husband suddenly tickled her. She laughed merrily, wondering where that had come from, and gently slapped him across the chest. "Ah, Honey… Stop…"
Jack pretended to pout, and playfully sighed. "Ok…" He smiled at her and moved his hand from her waist to caress the side of her face. "I love you."
Elli leaned in to kiss him, and gave him a pretty grin of her own. "I love you, too."
All too quickly Jack had to part from Elli to go work, leaving her excited and full of warm, romantic thoughts of tomorrow night.
***
The next morning, Elli awoke with butterflies in her stomach. She wasn't sure if they were there because Jack had looked at her a certain way, or because she was thinking there was so much to do today, or because she was distracted by thoughts of tonight…
She noticed Jack was gone, and heard heavy footsteps outside their bedroom. She sighed in relief. Thank goodness, she thought. He doesn't need to see me so flustered already so early in the morning.
During the day, she recalled everything her grandmother had taught her as she prepared dinner and tidied up the house. Despite remembering, however, she still felt nervous since this would be the first time she ever had to prepare for a holiday alone. But at the same time, she felt very grateful…not only for Ellen teaching her how to cook and clean, but for everything she had done for her. Elli wondered how her grandmother and brother would spend Starry Night…
Early that evening, Jack returned home, where he was greeted by a delectable aroma and the sight of his dolled-up wife. "Wow," he breathed excitedly, relishing the sight of the latter. Elli had opted to wear pants instead of her dress, that of which was black in color and a little tight in style, hugging her curves perfectly. A navy colored sweater wrapped her figure, accentuating the contour of her breasts. A silver necklace and earrings composed her jewelry, and what had she done to her hair to make it glittery like that, Jack wondered. Was that a touch of light make-up on her face? He didn't know what she had put on her lips, but they were looking very pink and very glossy and very tempting…
Elli blushed under his gaze, secretly delighted he noticed she had decided to switch up her wardrobe a bit. "Dinner is almost ready… Why don't you go wash up, and it'll be ready by the time you come back?"
Jack nodded obediently, his eyes staying on her as he retreated to their bedroom. He almost tripped over his dog following at his heels, and nearly spilled the armful of firewood he had. It reminded him of when he had first seen her in the Goddess dress for the Spring Goddess Festival…he had certainly been stunned then too.
As they sat across from each other at dinner, Jack thought his wife looked beautiful by candlelight, and he told her so, causing Elli to smile coyly and flush pink. "Thank you… Do you want to go stargazing later? The weather's perfect for it.."
Jack nodded, taking a bite of salad, and looked up when Elli sighed wistfully. "I wonder what Grandma and Stu are doing. I sometimes worry about them, even though we live close by."
"Do you want to go visit them later?" Jack asked, imagining it must feel odd for Ellen and Stu to spend a holiday without Elli too.
Elli nodded, giving him a grateful look.
***
After dessert, the couple grabbed their coats and began the journey to Mother's Hill hand-in-hand, enjoying the crisp, fresh air and tiny snowflakes dancing down from the skies. Along the way, Jack noticed Elli was very quiet and pensive. Surely she was thinking of Ellen and Stu, he assumed. If she wanted to, they could leave early to go see them…
Jack released her hand and put an arm around her, hoping the gesture would both warm her up and incite an explanation as to why her mood changed suddenly. However, Elli only leaned into him and whispered a word of thanks.
At the hilltop, the couple snuggled close together, savoring each other's warmth. Elli rested her head on Jack's shoulder, sighing softly. "The stars are so beautiful…" she murmured.
"Yeah," Jack sighed, gazing up at them. He remembered stargazing with his grandfather as a kid. They had laid on an old blanket in the field on the farm and admired the radiant, silver stars, trying to count them and spot the constellations. They used to talk about anything and everything…
A few moments passed before Jack realized that Elli wasn't looking at the stars at all. Glancing at her, he noticed she was staring at her boots, a melancholy expression on her face.
He frowned. "El, what's wrong?"
Elli subtly shook her head, avoiding eye contact. "Nothing… I was just thinking."
Jack looked at her concernedly. "Of?"
Elli hugged her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. Amidst her somber thoughts, she understood that it wouldn't make sense to hide this from her husband. If anyone needed to know about this, it should be him…
Her voice became soft. "How I used to spend Starry Night as a little girl… Back when my parents died, Grandma could still walk. She would take me and Stu here, and we'd watch the stars for a little while." Her rueful, sepia eyes scanned the sky finally. "Whenever I'd look at the stars, Grandma would tell me I could see my mom and dad…"
Jack was quiet for a minute, realizing this was the first time she opened up like this to talk about her past. He eyed her carefully, though she did not look at him. "You miss them, don't you?" he asked softly. He couldn't see the tears that had filled her eyes, but he did hear the honest pain in her voice. "So much…"
Jack reached over to take her hand in his own, and felt her gently squeeze it. That little squeeze let him know that she knew he was there for her. "What were they like?" he went on to ask. Elli glanced at him plaintively. "Daddy…was a wonderful man. He was big, tall and strong…smart, quiet, kind and brave."
She made eye contact with her husband at last, looking into his eyes intently. "A lot like you… He always protected my mother and me. When I was little, I thought nothing in the world could go wrong and I was absolutely safe as long as I was in my father's arms."
She averted her gaze again, her voice becoming soft with nostalgia. "If I close my eyes and think back, I can remember the way he felt, how he smelled of pine and vanilla…how strong his arms were. Both Mom and I loved to be in Daddy's arms…and I knew he loved us both very much. He told us so everyday."
Jack caressed the back of her hand gently, still attentive. "You were a Daddy's girl, weren't you?"
Elli smiled a bit. "I suppose, yes…but I loved my mother very much too. She was an amazing mother…a beautiful and inspiring woman. I wanted to be like her. I used to play house and dress up with her clothes, just so I could say I was a grown up lady like her. She was a beautiful person…and an excellent cook and midwife."
"Hmm," Jack mused, now understanding why his wife's ambition in her aspirations and career ran so deep. He stared at their intertwined hands, noting how soft hers was, her slender fingers wrapped tight with his. "You seem to have a lot of memories of them… What were their names?"
Elli nodded slowly, joyful scenes of her childhood dancing in her mind at the mention of memories. "I do… and their names were Matthew and Elizabeth."
"Matthew and Elizabeth," Jack repeated fondly. He smiled sincerely. "I'm glad they decided to have you."
Elli looked at him suddenly.
"And Stu," he quickly added.
A dispirited Elli felt her heart wrench in her chest upon hearing those words. She nearly began to sob, and whispered weakly, "My father never even got to see Stu or hold him…"
"El-"
"Let's go home," she interrupted, her voice curt yet shaky. She sniffled and repeated quietly, "I'd like to go home now please…" Her hand was trembling in his.
Jack, not knowing what to say, said nothing and did as his wife asked. Silence accompanied them on the way home. They never made the visit to see Ellen and Stu. Elli wasn't sure she was up for a visit anyway; she was a wreck as it was… It was all she could do but to break down and cry right then and there on the mountainside path. At home in their bedroom, however, she was on the verge on tears when her husband gently asked, "El, what happened to your parents?"
Elli paused as she heard the bedroom door close behind Jack. She sensed his presence, kind and benevolently urging, and felt the strength she had been summoning on the journey home disappear. She walked away from him, only to stop at a chair by her nightstand. She glanced over her shoulder at him, her eyes dark and forlorn. "Do you really want to know?" she whispered, and Jack could've sworn she sounded almost afraid.
"Yes," he replied earnestly, his voice equally quiet. He watched Elli as she proceeded to sit on the edge of their bed. She stared at her hands in her lap and sighed shakily.
"My father was a woodsman. He and some of the neighboring village men helped build homes, barns, churches… One day there was an accident in the forest… The men had piled the lumber in the steam log loader, and were tying the logs down so they wouldn't fly loose. One of the logs was too heavy for the loader's thin ropes, and it snapped, making the log crash onto the already oversized pile. That, of course, caused it to collapse… It almost killed James, my father's best friend. My father moved just in time to push James out of the way…and lost his life in the process."
Jack took notice of his desolate wife; she was pale, stiff, with an expressionless look on her face, and her hands had clenched into tight fists. He wasn't sure what to say to her, but he supposed asking questions was all he could do. He thought it'd be best if she talked about this; it certainly wasn't healthy that she keep everything to herself for so long…
He tentatively approached and stood before her, his eyes gazing over her sympathetically. "Where were you?" he inquired gently.
Elli swallowed to suppress a lump in her throat. "At home taking care of my pregnant mother… I was ten when Daddy died, and I remember thinking 'This is the worst pain I've ever felt. How am I supposed to take care of Mommy, Grandma, the baby and still go to school? How can we live now?'"
She felt her husband's hands on top of her own, and let him hold them, grateful that he was there. "I was eleven when Stu was born," she continued, smiling sadly. "For the first time in a long time, I was happy… he helped me cope with Daddy's death…and it was wonderful to help care for an infant. I loved babies even then."
Jack thought that although her smile was a despondent one, it was still beautiful. "I know, Honey… I bet you were a big help to your mom and grandma."
Elli nodded slightly, her eyes clouding with the tears she wished would not come. "I didn't know it, but it'd be practice for later when I had to start raising Stu with Grandma…"
Jack hated to take away that smile…but he had to ask. "Your mother…" he trailed off.
Her tears began to flow freely now. "Influenza… The neighboring doctor was in another village when my mother fell ill, and he wouldn't come back this way for months. Grandma and I tried our best to nurse my mother back to health, but it wasn't enough. I was twelve when I lost her…"
Jack felt his heart break for his wife. "Baby…" he whispered, pulling her into his arms. He felt her clutch onto him tightly, and knew she had surrendered in his embrace. He began to rub her back consolingly as she wept bitterly against him. It genuinely hurt him to hear her painfully cry, and to know she had suffered so. Let it out, baby, he thought comfortingly. Just let it all out…
Only after several minutes of grieving was Elli able to speak again, her voice nothing more than a hushed whisper. "It was the most horrible feeling in the world to know I was an orphan… But the worst was knowing Stu wouldn't be able to remember anything about our parents. Thankfully Grandma can still tell him stories about them. I'm so grateful for her."
"I know she means a lot to you."
Elli nodded against his chest. "She's raised me and Stu since then, and she's taught me everything I know. She's done so much for me; I can't even describe what she means to me. The only things I ever wanted in life was to help cure her legs and…"
She trailed off, causing her husband to gently urge, "And…?"
Elli flushed pink. "And get married and have a family… I've wanted that ever since I was a little girl. But I wasn't sure if that would ever happen."
Jack pulled away a little to look at her incredulously. "Why not? Look at you. You're smart, beautiful, sweet and unselfish… Kind, loving and a strong, ambitious woman.." He caressed her lightly as he spoke, pausing as he traced the curve of her rear end. His voice grew husky as he added, "Sexy…"
She gasped slightly and blushed deeply. "Jack…" she whispered, her heart fluttering in her chest.
"The man who doesn't give you a chance doesn't know what he's missing," Jack continued, then teased indirectly, "And if he does know by now, then there's nothing he can do about it."
Elli shook her head slowly, knowing he was referring to her unrequited crush on Doctor Tim in the past. She blushed again and said shyly, "Well I'm glad you gave me a chance. I've been so happy since I met you.. You made me feel beautiful and desirable…and you've given life to my dreams." She began to silently weep, though this time her feelings were a mixture of sorrow and joy. "I love you so much…"
Jack smiled tenderly at her and guided her to the chair aside her nightstand, sitting down on it before pulling her onto his lap. "I love you too." He held her in comfortable silence for a while, stroking her lazily while he felt her heartbeat slow its pace. He felt her breathing deeply, and thought she had fallen asleep until he felt moisture on his neck. Before he could move, Elli pulled away, apologizing softly, and reached out to wipe his neck dry with her sleeve.
Jack gently grabbed her wrist to stop her, looked her solemnly in the eyes, and declared quietly, "It's ok to cry. I know you miss them… I'm here for you. It's ok to cry."
She wasn't sure if it was the softness of his voice or the way he was looking at her, but Elli felt more tears escape her eyes and run down her cheeks. She closed her eyes when she saw Jack lean in, and faintly blushed when she felt him gently kiss her tears away. His gesture, his thoughtfulness, how he felt and smelled, the way he looked in the soft light…filled Elli's heart with such desire and aroused her deeply.
Jack pressed a soft kiss to her lips, hoping to calm her a bit. However, he was completely surprised when he felt Elli take his face in her hands and suddenly kiss him hard. He blinked at her, wide-eyed, and cupped the side of her face when she pulled away.
"El…" he began cautiously. "Are you--"
Elli cut him off, kissing him deeply, and straddled him. She pulled away and buried her face in his neck, gently planting kisses along it. "Make love to me, Jack," she murmured.
Jack swallowed hard, trying to form coherent thoughts amidst feeling soft, wet kisses running up and down his neck, and his wife's fingers sneaking underneath the collar of his sweater, stroking his collarbone. "What?" he managed to whisper.
Elli nuzzled against him, pressing her hips to his. "Make love to me," she repeated softly. "I want you… I need you." She faintly smiled when she felt his Adam's apple move beneath her lips as he swallowed again. Him swallowing like that was a sure sign he was nervous. But she didn't want him to be nervous…she wanted him to take her. She knew he was becoming aroused; his shallow breathing and rapid heartbeat attested to that. She hummed her pleasure as she felt his hand come up to stroke her back.
"Are you sure?" he whispered, more sultrily than uncertain.
Elli moved up to kiss him passionately again, slipping her tongue in his mouth, and repositioned his hand from her back to her right breast. Well, that certainly answered Jack's question. He returned her kiss, rubbing her gently and enjoying the soft moans coming from her. Elli ran her hands over his chest to his abdomen and back up again, savoring the warmth and firmness of his muscles. Her right hand traced the muscles on his strong arms while her left hand caressed the center of his chest, the rapid vibrations of his heartbeat beneath her fingertips. She continued to rub him for a few minutes until she grabbed the bottom of his sweater and shirt and rolled them up to pull over his head.
Jack leaned back and removed the clothing, content to oblige her. He looked at her sweetly and smiled ardently at the desire in her eyes. They resumed kissing, and Jack returned to stroke her back, rubbing in large circles and moving his hand up and down her spine to the small of her back. His hand lingered there for a minute before moving lower to caress her rear end gently.
Elli moaned softly and pulled away to rest her forehead against his shoulder, breathing a bit heavily as she felt him squeeze her slightly. She turned her face to kiss him fervently, pressing her hips to his again. She shivered with pleasure as she felt a bulge in his pants and heard him groan softly. She gently ground her hips against his for a moment before she began to kiss his chest, sliding out of his lap and descending lower with each kiss. As she moved further south, she felt his hands sliding up her back to mesh with her hair. Once on her knees, she undid the button of his jeans and ran her tongue slowly just below his navel, unzipping him at the same pace.
Jack looked down at Elli, his eyes glazed with desire, and trembled a bit when she slipped her hand inside his boxers, running her fingers lightly over the curls of hair. After a few moments of gentle teasing, she proceeded to wrap her hand around him, rubbing and squeezing him tenderly.
"Elli…" Jack moaned his wife's name and closed his eyes.
Elli continued to please her husband, licking and kissing his abdomen as she stroked him, until she tugged at his jeans.
Jack knew what tugs meant: 'I want it off, please.' With a small, giddy smile he stood up and wriggled out of his jeans--however, his eyes flew wide open with surprise when he felt Elli immediately pull his boxers down.
She wants it this bad? Jack thought incredulously. His attention was diverted when he felt Elli stroke him again, her mouth approaching his tip. He gasped slightly when he felt her warm breath, and looked down at her, his heart pounding fiercely against his chest.
Elli gazed back up at him, a mixed look of innocence and lust in her eyes, and it was all Jack could do but lift her to her full height to kiss her deeply, pulling her closer so he could begin to undress her. Elli gladly assisted him, and reciprocated the kiss, though it was not at all soft like her usual kisses were. She kissed him roughly, running her hands all over him.
Jack did the same, matching her enthusiasm, and felt his heart racing at this change in his wife's behavior. He was faintly aware---amidst the kissing, groping, moaning and panting---that he and Elli were moving somewhere. He thought they'd either return to the chair or fall back onto their bed. He failed to hide his surprise when he felt a smooth surface behind him, and opened his eyes to realize his wife had pushed him up against the wall. He broke the kiss and peered at her carefully, curious and completely aroused to say the least.
Elli had her head bowed and resting against his chest. She was panting softly, her grip on his shoulders tight. She glanced up at him coyly, and in that moment, Jack wondered what had happened to his wife. Elli blushed beneath his curious gaze and leaned up to kiss him again. Her kisses once again trailed south, and when she reached his arousal, she found that she was not stopped this time.
She made a mental note that though this was the first time she had ever taken him in her mouth, she must be doing something right by the way Jack gasped and moaned her name. When his knees buckled, she knew she had done no wrong. After a few moments of pleasuring him this way (and after she thought he had a difficult time standing upright), she stood up and traded places with him so that she was the one leaning against the wall.
She flushed pink again and whispered sultrily, "Let's try it this way…" She raised her leg to welcome him, and cried out in joy as they joined together.
Jack picked her up to support her weight, and felt Elli's other leg wrap around his waist. The wonderful sounds that filled his ears were the sighs, moans and words of encouragement from his wife. He continued to please her for a while, his whole world consisting of her sounds of pleasure and the feeling of her writhing against him. He was both excited and aroused to try it this way, but wanted to finish it differently. He carried her over to their bed and laid her down gently before leaning over her.
"I want you," Elli murmured, cupping his face in her hands and bringing him closer for a gentle kiss this time. "I know, baby," Jack whispered breathlessly, and quickly kissed her again before settling between her legs.
Elli moaned softly again when she felt Jack enter her, and lovingly whispered his name as she felt him lean forward and nuzzle against her neck, kissing it momentarily. She moaned louder and cried out once she felt him moving in and out, and reached out for him, wanting him even closer.
Jack eased forward, his eyebrows arching in surprise when he felt Elli grasp him and pull his upper body close to her, her nails digging into his back. As he increased his pace and speed, he felt Elli dig harder into his back, and her legs wrap around his waist. He heard her crying out and panting, and felt her clenching tighter around him. He closed his eyes, surrendering himself to the desire to please his wife.
Elli closed her eyes as well, whispering her husband's name again and again, wholly lost in euphoric bliss. She had never been so deeply satisfied before, and the feeling was bringing her to a new level of sincere pleasure. She began to tremble as she felt herself coming, and cried out Jack's name one last time before losing control. She was completely unaware of the world around her, or of the man above who had just come after her. After a few moments, she was faintly aware of being held, and all she could do was tremble and silently weep in the arms around her.
Jack looked down at his wife, and was concerned to know she was in tears and shaking like this… He kissed her hair and caressed her damp skin. "Are you ok?" he whispered.
He felt her nod against him and cuddle closer. He tilted her face towards him and wiped away her tears with the pads of his thumbs, kissing her cheeks afterwards. He gazed into her beautiful, brown eyes, moist with tears and still full of desire, and smiled a bit. "Love you…"
She faintly smiled, whispering, "I love you too."
***
Jack laid in bed, unable to fall asleep. He was deep in thought about his wife. There was something about the way he and Elli made love just now that both pleased and worried him. He knew that she wanted to make love tonight, but never imagined it'd turn out the way it did. He looked down at a sleeping Elli. Where did that zeal, that desperation come from?
He noticed how overtly emotional and passionate Elli seemed toward the end of their lovemaking, and wondered if he really caused her to feel that way.
He knew she wanted to make love after he consoled her of her parents' deaths. He was alright with the idea of comfort sex… he wanted to do whatever it took to ease Elli's heart and mind. But, he thought with a frown, now that it was over, was she truly comforted? Or was this a heat-of-the-moment situation?
Perhaps it was both, Jack thought. He looked over Elli again. She seemed to be at peace. Jack closed his eyes to sleep as well, his thoughts on his sweet wife.
***
The next morning, Elli was the first to awaken. She felt the warmth of her bare skin pressed against her husband's, and remembered what had happened last night and the fact they were still naked… She turned over and lightly kissed his chest, her heart warm with love for him and memories of last night.
It was amazing, wonderful, sensual…it was the night she was truly free.
Last night was the first time Elli had allowed herself to really mourn the deaths of her parents. It was the first time she had told anyone what had happened and how she felt as a child.
If she were honest with herself, she hadn't meant to be so emotional about it… She was used to being strong. She was used to keeping her thoughts and feelings to herself. In addition to that, she wanted Starry Night to be a romantic night for herself and Jack, not a solemn and sad one. But when Jack listened to her story and comforted her in his sweet ways, she couldn't help but find it romantic and couldn't help but want him… And boy, did she want him…
Beside her, Jack stirred and woke up. He smiled at her once his eyes focused on her, and murmured, "Good morning, baby."
Elli couldn't help but imitate his infectious smile. "Good morning," she said softly.
Jack reached out to stroke the side of her face gently. "Are you alright? Did you sleep well?"
"Yes," Elli whispered, snuggling up to him. "Thank you, Honey…"
"For what?"
She blushed, and her voice remained soft. "For listening to me and being with me last night… for loving me and marrying me."
His heart grew tender at her words, and he found he wanted to be close to her suddenly."Babe…"
He kissed her gently, pulling her on top of himself. He loved feeling the softness of her warmed skin as she lay on top of him. He ran a hand up and down her back, and Elli shivered with pleasure under his touch.
Jack smiled. "You know I'm always gonna be there for you. I love you."
"I love you, too," she murmured, easing up to touch her lips to his. They kissed tenderly for several moments, and when Jack pulled away, he moaned so softly that it sent a tingle down Elli's spine.
"Ah, don't make me regret having to get up and go do farm chores," he whispered. He gently traced the curves of her breasts with a finger. "It's hard to leave you like this…"
Elli lifted her head up to give him a bashful, doe-eyed look, one that she knew her husband couldn't argue with. She blushed and whispered, "So don't…"
She noticed Jack could hold eye contact with her for only a few seconds before groaning in defeat, and made a mental note to do certain things to make him groan later.
"El…"
"Yes?" she asked sweetly.
"Ah… l-let me feed the animals real quick. I'll be right back. I won't even go mining today…"
Elli smiled and rolled off of him. "Ok…"
Jack quickly got dressed and glanced back at his wife, a grin on his face. "Will you still be warm, naked and playful when I get back?"
Elli laughed softly and blushed again. "Yeah…"
Jack's grin grew wider. "Be right back!"
***
When Jack returned to their bedroom, however, he found that Elli was not in bed. He raised an eyebrow curiously, but his expression changed when he heard gentle singing accompanied by running water coming from the bathroom. He entered their bathroom, where he was greeted by steamy air, and noticed the singing had stopped. The shower door opened a bit, and Jack found himself staring at his still warm, naked, playful and now wet wife.
He had a hard time looking at her face, as his eyes were captivated by the shape and outline of her curvaceous body through the disfigured glass, but he was momentarily able to see a mischievous, sensual gleam in his wife's eyes. "Well?" she whispered sultrily.
Jack smiled, needing no further invitation than that.
***
The day had passed too quickly for the couple. After they had 'washed up' and had breakfast, they spent time talking and telling each other childhood stories. Elli enjoyed hearing about her husband's life as a child, and made a mental note to tell him about a story from her childhood, one where she met and played with this wonderful little boy who used to visit his grandfather's farm years ago…
Lunch would have been eaten in peace had not Jack told so many jokes and funny stories to make Elli laugh. That same sense of humor led the couple outdoors, where they engaged in a snowball fight. Elli won it of course, but not because her husband took it easy on her; on the contrary, she had to throw herself and tackle him hard in order to stop his continuous barrage of flying snowballs.
Jack was surprised, needless to say, and fell down instantly, both he and Elli laughing like a couple of kids. "Gosh, that actually hurt," Jack chuckled. "You're crazy, babe."
Elli snuggled close to him, resting her head on his chest. In between catching her breath, she whispered, "Crazy for you…"
They shared a kiss, and Elli swept aside some snow from his brow. "Did I really hurt you?" she questioned softly.
Jack smirked at her mischievously. "Some more kisses should make it all better."
Elli giggled and pressed her lips to his cheek lightly. "Better?"
"I think I hurt my lips."
Elli couldn't help but laugh. "You're so cheesy," she murmured before kissing him on the lips. "All better now?"
Jack cupped her face with his hand and brought her closer for a deep, prolonged kiss. When he pulled away, he noticed Elli had flushed pink, a look of surprise and desire in her widened eyes. He smiled. "Now it is."
They warmed up by the fireplace, where the kisses they shared outside grew more ardent indoors. Jack offered to make dinner, while Elli said she'd be in charge of dessert. Jack's culinary skills were enough to satisfy them both, and for dessert Jack preferred Elli in chocolate rather than chocolate cake. Needless to say, there was a mess…but cleaning it up was quite enjoyable.
After they made love, they laid by the fireplace again, where they had talked about how many children they wanted, among other things. "We should do this again," Elli murmured, her fingers making tiny circles on his bare chest.
"Do what?" Jack questioned sleepily.
"Spend the entire day together like this," Elli answered shyly. "It's fun."
Jack smiled. "Yeah, we should. How about New Year's Eve? We don't have to go to the top of Mother's Hill with the others." He smirked at her. "We can celebrate and bring in the New Year our own way…"
Elli blushed at the thought of it. "Ok…"
So they did, and neither would deny it being enjoyable. But perhaps what was most enjoyable was that this was the year Elli found out she was expecting… The news overwhelmed and excited her, brought tears to her eyes and joy to her heart. These feelings were greatly magnified when her baby came into the world one warm, beautiful summer morning.
"A son… We have a son," Elli whispered happily, after she had recovered and she and Jack were alone. She was in bed holding their newborn, unable to take her eyes off him. At the bedside stood her husband, who also couldn't help but gaze at his beautiful wife and the precious life he created with her.
"He's so beautiful…" Elli sighed delightedly, then looked up at her husband expectantly. "Have you chosen a name for him?"
"I have," Jack replied, reaching out to stroke the baby's cheek with a finger. "Matthew Alexander Taylor."
Elli gasped quietly and blinked at him, happy but a bit bewildered. "Honey… I… I thought you wanted Jack Jr."
Jack smiled and shook his head. "Nah," he said softly. "I think it's better to give him a name that's important to you. I thought naming him after your father would be best…"
Tears of joy filled Elli's eyes, and she couldn't stop them from running down her cheeks. "Oh, Jack," she whispered softly, urging him closer with an open arm. She brought him close and kissed him deeply, appreciatively. Her heart was filled with so much love for him in that moment that she thought it would burst. If only he knew what that meant to her... When they broke apart, she couldn't help but quickly kiss him again, especially when she felt him wipe away her tears. "I love you so much…"
Jack grinned and kissed the tip of her nose. "I love you, too." He then planted a kiss on top of his son's head. "I love you, too."
"We both do," Elli whispered to her baby, who began to fuss a bit. He was soon satisfied, however, when his mother began to nurse him. Elli observed him for a little while before mentioning to her husband, "He looks so much like you."
"Really?"
She laughed softly. "Yeah… Look at him. He has your face. His eyes, nose and mouth…it's all you." The baby made a suckling sound suddenly, and Elli smiled. "He has your stomach…"
After the baby was full, Elli burped him and giggled when he smiled. Jack grinned. "Yeah…but Matt also has your hair, your ears, your smile… He also gets his good looks from his mom."
Elli blushed and looked down at Matt. "I'm going to love everyday I get to spend with him… I'm excited about even the smallest things he'll do…"
Jack smiled at her sincerely. "I know.. Me too. You're going to be a great mother."
"Thank you, Honey…"
During the silence that followed, husband and wife looked at each other softly, savoring in the moment they shared as a new family. Though nothing else was said between them at the moment, their eyes full of love and compassion said all that needed to be said.
They shared a passionate kiss, looking forward to a wonderful life with their son.
End.
A/N: Well, this is it. What do you think? I hope I portrayed Elli well and that she didn't seem out of character. Though she is a sweet and soft-spoken person, I do think there's another side to her when it comes to certain subjects. Anyway, based on how ecstatic she seemed to be pregnant in the game, I could see her as the type who would want a big family. I wish HM would allow you to have a few kids… In my game, she got pregnant pretty quick. Then again, I did talk with her everyday and lavish her with gifts and attention and I was *always* home early, LOL.
I always wondered what happened to Elli's parents, and that was my main reason for writing this. I hadn't seen any stories written about this topic, so I thought I'd give it a shot. It's great that fan fiction can be used for your interpretation of any situation, and this is mine. Thanks for reading til the end! It's appreciated, and would be even more appreciated if left with a meaningful review. =)
[Written while listening to Blue Moon by The Vidal Brothers.]