-1The Simpson houaw was dusty, and looked some what older than 12 years ago. It had a haunted old house kind of feeling to it and that's exactly what Jessica felt. It was haunting memories that continue to taunt her. Maggie ran up the stairs to her parents bedroom. She was searching for her birth certificate while Jessica was walking around the first floor.
"Bart…" she whispered to herself, looking at the family photographs in the living room. He looked so happy then, Jessica wonder if he was the same now. Jessica walked up the stairs, into Bart's bedroom. She lifted his mattress, she knew this is where Bart had his most private possessions. She found an empty bottle of anti-depressions and sleeping pills. Bart used to take anti-depressions and sleeping pills? Jessica thought, Bart was never depressed but she knew Bart was restless at times. She shoved the bottles into her purse. The next thing she found was a letter, a love letter she had written years ago. The first love letter she had written in fact.
"Awh, I can't believe he kept this," she said with a smile, it wasn't the only letter from Jessica in his bed. In fact there was a folder filled with them. She didn't know why he didn't take these with him… maybe he wanted her to stumble upon these one day. One thing that is missing is a photograph of her. She remembers giving him a photograph of her holding a rose, it had the words "I will always love you" written across it. She searched the room for the photo, she couldn't find it. That makes no sense, why did he leave behind the letters if he took the photo?
She decided to fully move the mattress and see what other belongings he had left behind. She found his slingshot, journal and a book of poetry. She didn't know Bart was poetic, she opened the book and at the start there was a gothic kind of poetry, lyrics possibly for heavy metal songs but as she skipped through she found love poetry.
Her long black hair smells like roses, her beautiful eyes I could stare into for days.
He had written it about her… As she skipped through she realised a point where it fell apart, the poetry was no longer romantic, it was suicidal.
Death will comfort me, only in my ever lasting dream can I forget the memories slowly devouring my soul.
That was obviously written after his parents passing, Jessica wondered what Bart was like now. Was he back to his punk or goth self? Was he romantic, did he still love her or was he suicidal?
"I found it and look, I got some photo albums. And Lisa's diary," Maggie had interrupted Jessica's train of thought. Jessica grabbed Bart's photo album and walked out. Maggie followed. Maggie was confused at the look on her sister's face, she looked happy and sad at the same time. Maggie never though such a look was possible but now she knows it is.
"Wow, Bart seemed to like you a lot and you love him too," Maggie said reading the love letters and skimming through the photo albums. This was nothing more than memories to Jessica now, she wished that Bart and her could have more great memories together.
"He promised one thing before he left," Jessica suddenly said, remembering the last time she saw Bart.
"What?"
"That he will return to Springfield one day,"
---
"well, go then" Stan says as he finishes what's left of the noodles. Bart loves Chinese food and it's in fact his favourite.
"Yeah man, you two might as well take a break from here, you can even borrow my car," Cartman says as he relaxes on the sofa his legs filling two empty seats while the rest of them are sitting around the table.
"I'll go with you Bart, under one condition,"
"What's that?" Bart asks his friend Kenny who lefts down his parka too reveal his messy blonde hair.
"I drive," He says with a smile. Bart knew he wouldn't be driving, his license was temporarily suspended after he was caught driving drunk for the 13th time in a fortnight.
"sweet, you guys want seconds, I as hell as do, you didn't order enough Eric," Kyle says as he moves all of our plates to the sink.
"well I didn't expect Bart and Kenny to eat so much, you guys ate like you haven't had a proper meal in weeks," The fact is, they didn't have a proper meal in a month.
The next day, Kenny awoke too the sound of movement, frantic movement.
"What the hell is going on?" He said as he saw Bart packing his stuff.
"I couldn't sleep, so I decided to start packing,"
"At 4 am?"
"Yeah," He said sheepishly.
"well, okay…" Kenny said a little annoyed, returning to his bed and trying to get some sleep before sunrise. There was no such luck as soon the sun filled Kenny's room and he decided to start packing too. By the time Kenny finished packing his little possession Bart was ready, he had called someone in Springfield, Kenny believed it was the daughter of the family that took in Maggie.
"ok let's go," Bart says frantically as Kenny put his stuff into the boot.
"Ok, calm down dude we are going,"
"One place before we go… the hospital,"
"What?"
"Grandpa is sick, he was sent to hospital 2 weeks ago,"
"oh right," Kenny says as he started to drive towards the hospital. Abe Simpson's room was filled with fresh flowers that Lisa had just picked. When Bart and Kenny entered, Lisa and Bebe were already sitting there. Grandpa was awake, tied to machines. He was dying of cancer, he didn't tell the kids that, he lied and say he went into a diabetic coma.
"Hey Grandpa," Bart say as he kissed the old man on the cheek.
"Hello Bart,"
"uhhh there is something I want to tell you, I'm glad Lisa is here too… me and Kenny are going to Springfield to see Maggie," Abe got up from the bed, dragging a machine with him.
"Well I'm coming too," he said as he pulled out a needle from his veins and ripped off the wires from the machines.
"What? Grandpa you can't!!" Lisa protested.
"Springfield was my home, the only reason I moved here was because I thought it would be too depressing for you kids to grow up there after that day…."
"But Grandpa your sick,"
"I might died from my lung cancer on the way to Springfield but it's where I want to be buried, I just pray to God that I will be able too see my youngest Granddaughter,"
"lung cancer?" Bart and Lisa ask in unison.
"Yes, I'm afraid I have been lying to you kids, I wanted to protect you, protect you from something that is inevitable, I am about to die. Please take me with you, just one glimpse of Maggie is all I ask," Kenny and Bart knew they weren't going to reject this man's last wishes. Everyone in South Park admired Abe Simpson for his ability to fight through anything, but there is one thing no single man has been able to defeat; time.
"We'll take you,"
"oh I wish I could come," Bart heard distinctively as they all left the room. Kenny was helping Grandpa to the car, his walking stick wasn't enough anymore. Bart turned around to face his sister, he knew she wanted to see Maggie but he also knew that she was up to her neck in study stress.
"Lisa, one day you will get to see Maggie again, one day the three of us will be reunited," Lisa didn't respond with a verbal response, instead she put her arms around Bart and gave me a kiss on the cheek.
"Be safe," She said before letting go.
"With Kenny driving, how can I?" They both let out a laugh. Everyone knew Kenny was a good driver but he was also a racer. Kenny had trouble keeping to the speed limit and because of that he has had a few bad crashes. One in particular when he nearly died was the prominent of them. He was driving too visit Stan at Uni one day and decided to go above the speed limit as usual. A drunk driver was doing the same, the drunk's car slide across the lanes and it was a head on collision.
"Bye Bart,"
"C ya later Lisa," He said running down to Kenny's car.
"What took ya man?" Kenny said as he started up the engine.
"Kenny, this time you have to drive to the speed limit," Bart said looking at Grandpa who had fallen asleep.
"I know, I know," Kenny says catching where his eyes were looking.
---
Maggie had shut herself from the world, her room had become her queendom, her bed her throne, her tears her command. Jessica got a call from Bart, he and a friend were coming down to Springfield and she ran into Maggie's room and was shocked at what she saw.
"MAGGIE!!!" she screamed as blood dripped from her. Jessica grabbed the knife from Maggie.
"what are you doing?"
"making things better," she said as Jessica took off her jumper and tightened it around the wound on Maggie's arm in an attempt to stop the bleeding.
"Maggie, that doesn't help, trust me… I have done it before,"
"my parents are dead and I'm living a lie,"
"Bart and a friend are coming down here, I don't want them to see you like this,"
"He is?" Maggie questioned, instantly feeling a little better. Jessica put a bandage on her arm and took the knife away from her. Jessica felt excited to know Bart was coming to Springfield again not just because it was her one and only love but because Maggie could be reunited with her brother. No matter what Jessica felt for Bart, he would have to fight hard to say she isn't Maggie's sister. They might not have blood in common but family isn't about blood, it's about those you love the most.
"Jess, I'm sorry about… about this," She said pointing to her injured hand.
"don't worry about it, just don't do it again," Jessica said pulling in her little sister and giving her a kiss on the cheek. She held Maggie like a baby, because to Jessica that's what Maggie is. Her little baby sister, one she would die for.
"Magz, let me read you a bedtime story," Jessica says, which confuses Maggie.
"Bedtime story? You haven't done that in like 5 years,"
"I'll make you some hot coco,"
"Ok," Maggie says as Jessica walks out of the room. She threw her bloody jumper into the washing machine before turning on the jug. The only reason Jessica wanted to read her a story was because she loved doing it before, they both did and maybe it will cheer Maggie up a little.
"Jessica, take a seat," Her father says.
"I couldn't help but over hear your conversation with Maggie, Bart is coming back to Springfield?"
"For a little break, I dunno if he is moving back here or not. I wish he would," Mr Lovejoy signs.
"I know you and Bart… had something before, but I have warned you before that he isn't right for you,"
"is this what it's about Dad? Bart is coming to see his little sister, not me,"
"I know but I'm just telling you, find someone else. You have spent 12 miserable years awaiting his return," That was true, Jessica couldn't deny that. She thought about them being together all the time, even in her dreams she was with him.
"Dad, Bart was my best friend,"
"Yes it's fine to have memories, just move on with your life, I bet you he has already,"
"No!! No he hasn't," He couldn't have, Jessica thought to herself. But maybe that's why he left behind all Jessica's letters, to move on with his life. Could that be it? Bart wanted to move on with his life, leave behind his past in Springfield and start a new life?
