You don't have to tell me how horrible I am. I know I'm absolutely horrible, and I'm really really sorry. I could apologize from here to the moon, or I could explain myself. Okay, first, the whole writing during my trip in July did NOT work whatsoever, then I was really sick for the first three weeks in August, and then I had to get ready for school. All of this summed up in two words: NO TIME.
So instead of trying to hold myself to deadlines, I'm just going to say this. I will try to write quickly, but I really am updating as quickly as I can. Please don't hate me. Now that school is back in session, I THINK I'll have less time to get distracted, but it's my senior year, so that obviously has to priority. I really am trying, and if you forgive me, I'll be the happiest girl in the world. :) Now, READ ON!
This chapter: determining the fate of Jackson, good old fun, Mel/Jackson fluff, and a heart-to-heart.
Disclaimer: Don't own. End of story.
Chapter 3: Always and Forever
"Jackson. Jackson, wake up." Susan called softly as she tried to get him up the next morning.
"Huh?" He rolled over, not completely sure of what was going on.
"Mr. Rhodes is on the phone. He says it's really important," she explained as she held out the cordless from the hallway.
Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he took the phone, and she left the room. "Hello?" he muttered, trying his best not to wake up his roommates.
"Get up and get ready right now." Travis sounded frantic. It was weird.
"What?"
"You heard me. Get up right now. The Wus have been cleared and we've got to be down at the courthouse in an hour. Judge Bryant is fitting us into his schedule. He says this is the only open space on his docket for the rest of the week. So get your butt out of bed, boy. I'll be by in thirty minutes. Eat, too, because we don't have time to stop for something."
"All right, Travis, just chill out. Bye."
"Bye. You better not—." Jackson didn't even wait to hear what his next bitchy comment was going to be; he just went ahead and hit the END button. He rolled his eyes and stumbled towards his small dresser, picking out a semi-nice outfit before heading towards the bathroom to get a quick shower.
He let the hot water beat into his tense muscles, releasing all of the anxiety that he felt in preparation for the coming meeting. Jackson wanted so badly to be able to stay in Los Angeles. For the first time in his life, he felt safe, and even though he had made the mistake of going back to his old neighborhood, he couldn't imagine leaving the people who had helped him stay alive, literally. When he had to learn how to work and survive with people, he got a whole new appreciation for the human race. Before the crash, he couldn't trust anyone because everyone he had ever known had let him down, but Melissa, Lex, Nathan, Taylor, and even Eric had changed him, and he was not about to let that go.
When Travis pulled up to the driveway in front of the house, Jackson said goodbye to Susan before heading out. He had not been able to eat anything, mostly out of fear that he'd get sick from nerves. As far as he could remember, the last time he had been this nervous was when he was getting taken away from his mom.
"Good, you're ready."
"What? You didn't think I could pay attention to what you were saying?" Jackson snapped.
"I didn't say that," Travis replied.
"I know how important this is, Travis. I wasn't about to screw this up, so just drive. There's nothing you can say to me right now that I don't already know." With that said, Travis put the car in drive, and they were off. It was another completely silent ride.
One ability Jackson had that he was thankful was that he could basically zone out when he needed, to give himself an opportunity to escape everything that was stressing him. He did this on the way to the courthouse, and before he knew it, the car had stopped, and he was about to walk into one of the most important appearances of his life.
The enormous walls were even more domineering than usual, the tile floors even more chilling. It was a rare occasion that someone could make Jackson fearful, but this was one of those times, and he didn't like it one bit. He took deep, silent breaths as he entered the room, where Judge Bryant was waiting patiently for him and Travis. At the next table were Mrs. Wu and who Jackson could only assume was her lawyer.
"All right, let's get started," the judge announced, flipping open a folder in front of him. "We don't have much time. Let's see, Mr. and Mrs. Wu are here, I assume."
The lawyer at the next table stood up and said, "Your Honor, I am the attorney for the Wus, and Mr. Wu could not be here this morning, but this is Mrs. Wu. She and I will take care of everything together."
"Very well, then," Judge Bryant replied, as he turned to Travis and Jackson. "Cody Jackson, is there anything you'd like to say?"
Jackson cleared his throat before he tried to speak, but then he managed to get out, "No, sir, thank you."
"Okay, well, I see that the Wu family has an absolutely impeccable record as a foster family in the state of California. I also see a note here that the oldest daughter was one of the crash victims with Cody Jackson, is that correct?"
"Yes, Your Honor," Mrs. Wu replied. "My daughter, Melissa, was with Jackson on the trip. She was actually the one who suggested that we take him in."
Judge Bryant nodded and went on, "Now, you do understand that you and your husband will have to take care of the necessary work over the next six weeks to get your license renewed, right? Afterwards, Mr. Rhodes will make random visits to check in, just as procedure to make sure that everything is going smoothly in your home."
"I understand, Your Honor."
Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in Jackson's head, and he realized that there actually was something that he needed to ask about. "Excuse me, Your Honor," he said as he stood up.
"Jackson, hush and sit down," Travis scolded as he tried to pull Jackson back into his seat.
"Now, Mr. Rhodes, let the boy speak. After all, this is about his future. Yes, Cody?"
"I have a question. While Mr. and Mrs. Wu are getting their licensed renewed, would it be at all possible for me to stay with them? My junior year at Hartwell starts on August 13th, and the group home I'm currently at is so far away from the school, it'd be nearly impossible for me to get there and back every day." He held his breath as he watched the judge nervously.
Judge Bryant got a very curious look on his face as he pondered over Jackson's request. "Yes, son, I think that could work. You're just lucky that you've found such a respectable family who wants to help you. You have to understand, Cody, that if you get in trouble one more time, the courts will be forced to relocate you. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Your Honor, thank you so much." Jackson felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders. It was as if he could breathe for the first time that day. He wasn't going to be forced to leave. He could be with Melissa. He was going to be living with Melissa. Things couldn't be better.
If only he knew…
-Beauty in the Breakdown-
The next few days had been pretty chill for Jackson. Melissa and her family had welcomed him quite easily into their home. He was honestly a bit surprised to see that it wasn't some gigantic, overbearing mansion; it was just in an average house in an average neighborhood. He was staying in what used to be their guest room, but thankfully, the bathroom Melissa and her sisters shared was big enough to take on one more.
The walls were painted a soft yellow, so it was nothing too girly, not that he would have cared. He had a warm double bed that was more inviting than any place he had slept in years. The items he had brought with him had barely taken up any space in the large armoire in the room, but Sharon had promised him she'd take him clothes shopping soon. Jackson felt a little bad asking for her to buy him things so soon after moving in, but he was sincerely hoping that he'd be there for a while, and anyone could tell that the bare necessities he had were not going to last.
On the Saturday after he moved into the Wu home, ironically also the day he would have been leaving for Texas, he was woken up to a knock on the door. When he opened it up, he saw Melissa's youngest sister, Danielle, who had turned nine while the kids were still on the island, standing there meekly.
"Jackson, Mom and Dad went out for the morning, but Kat, Mel and I are setting up the slip-n-slide in the backyard if you want to come and join us."
Her voice was soft, almost like she was afraid of him. Jackson knew that he had to change that fact, so he knelt down to her level. "Hey, Dani?" She raised an eyebrow to let him know she was listening. "You don't have to be so scared of me. I promise I don't bite……much, anyway." She giggled, and he smiled back at her. "Now, go and tell Mel that I'll be out in a few minutes."
"'Kay, Jacks!" she hollered as she ran off. Jackson rolled his eyes and shut the door; Danielle had told him the day he got there that his name was now Jacks, and he was just going to have to deal with it. Melissa had later informed him that Danielle was not a girl to be argued with.
Once he had changed into swim trunks and grabbed a piece of bread from the kitchen, Jackson headed into the backyard, only to find Melissa's other sister, thirteen-year-old Katrina, already sliding across the lawn. Melissa was busy cheering along for her, so she hadn't seen Jackson go outside, so he decided to scare her a little bit. He snuck up behind her quietly, and when Danielle saw him, he held a finger to his lips, and she nodded her head in agreement. Out of the blue, he pinched Melissa's bare sides.
"HEY!" she squealed as she jumped forward. Turning around, she saw Jackson red in the face from laughing. "Jackson, that was so…not cool." She tried to look mad, but she couldn't help but smirk and try to hold her laugh in. "I'll get you back for that."
"Oh, yeah, what are you gonna do?" He watched suspiciously as she headed to the end of the slip-n-slide lane, and proceeded to point one of the hoses straight at him.
"Oh, it's on!" he shouted as he chased after her. Melissa ran him in circles around the backyard as Katrina and Danielle yelled in her support, but soon enough, Jackson caught up with her and grabbed her. He spun her around, and they fell to the ground, Jackson landing on top.
As they caught their breath from the excitement, their eyes locked. Jackson gazed into her deep brown eyes as he felt her watching him, and he knew exactly why he needed her around. Just by looking at him, she could tell everything he was feeling, everything he needed. Her touch sent electric shocks through his body, and as much as it frightened him, it was the best feeling in the world. He just wished he had it in him to put all his feelings into words.
So he did the one thing he knew would make them both feel good. He brushed her soft, black hair back from her face, and he kissed her. Just as Melissa brought her hand up and ran her fingers through his hair, they heard someone clear their throat.
"Excuse me! Kids are around, ya know."
-Beauty in the Breakdown-
A few hours later, after the four of them had all gotten showers and cleaned up, Melissa served lunch. Her mom had left spaghetti in the fridge, so all Melissa had to do was heat the food up. Once they were done, Katrina had gone upstairs to play her violin, and Danielle had gone down the road to play soccer with her best friend, Clara. The other two cleared up the food, and then headed into the living room on Melissa's suggestion to watch a movie.
They both curled up on the couch, but instead of grabbing the remote, Melissa bit her lip and looked at Jackson nervously. "What is it?" he asked.
"Nothing, it's just…I don't know. I'm still getting used to the fact that I'm now living with you twenty-four hours a day."
"Mel, on the island, you lived with me twenty-four hours a day."
She sighed, knowing how stupid it sounded. "I know that," she replied, "but here? It's something totally different. You know as well as I do that the island was nothing even close to reality. We were completely different people. Back here in Los Angeles, we're in reality. We have to go to school, go out to places where everyone knows what happened to us. And honestly…I don't think I could face this without you. I mean, I don't want to sound totally creepy or anything, but knowing you're always going to be here…it's a whole new level of security."
"Mel," Jackson said softly as he brought his arm around her and kissed the top of her head, "you have no idea how much hearing that meant to me. I'm so glad I'm staying here, too. You've been my best friend from day one, and there isn't a thing in the world that could change that."
"Are you nervous? Did they tell you anything else is going to happen?"
"No, they just said the charges were dropped, and I have to stay out of trouble or they'll relocate me."
Melissa smirked. "And you are going to stay out of trouble, right?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer.
"Of course," he told her, rolling his eyes. "Trust me. This is the best place I've been in my entire life. Why on earth would I screw that up?"
"I know. I was just kidding." She paused but soon went on to ask one more thing. "I hope you don't mind me questioning about this, Jackson, I just really want to know you."
"Okay." Now he was a bit nervous. "Ask away." If there was anyone that Jackson could open up to, it would be Melissa, so he might as well take that risk.
"What happened to your parents?" He suddenly brought his arm back from around her and stared at the ground, making Melissa very worried. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. You don't have to tell me."
"No, I'm sorry," he said, shaking his head. "You know that I trust you more than anyone, and I really do care about you and want to be open with you. It's just not something I have an easy time of talking about." She nodded in understanding. "But I promise, I'll tell you in time. That's just all I need. Time."
"That's one thing I can give you," she replied with a soft smile. "I meant what I said before we left the island, Jackson. When you're ready to talk about your past, I'll be here. I'll be here for you, always and forever."
I love you, guys! Thanks to all who have reviewed thus far. Review again, please! Happy Labor Day!
