California Dreaming
Jesse lies in his bed, laughing as Jane dances around the bright yellow room.
"Why are you so chipper, babe?" Jesse asks tiredly as he looks to her. She wears an oversized t-shirt with red cheekies underneath that peek when she moves her hips. She sings while twirling, grabbing linen and folding it in the air.
"Just thinking about this song Dad used to sing to me when I'm blue. It picks up my mood when I listen to it."
"What song is it?"
"California Dreaming by The Mamas And The Papas. It makes me think about California. My Dad said that one day, when he retires, he'll move out to Santa Monica and take me with him. We'll go to a nice beach house and soak up the sun."
"Sounds nice, Jane. Maybe we could visit one day. But now," he pulls Jane by the waist back into his bed.
"Let's have some California Dreaming of our own in our bed."
Jesse blinks himself awake as he felt the background around him rumble. He sits up quickly and looks around. Darkness, save for the peeks of brightening blue skies and silhouettes of mountains and trees, is all Jesse could see.
"Nice to see you're up, Jesse. I was going to wake you in an hour, but you looked very tired. I need you bright and early in the next few hours."
"What's the occasion?" Jesse grumbles, shrugging the blankets off his frame.
"Our honeymoon. We're newlyweds, after all. I scheduled a stay in California. Los Angeles, the City of Angels. You'll love it; Lydia and I had a rendezvous here to discuss…"
Jesse tried to tune out what Todd is saying. He doesn't want to be reminded of his old life, before Walter turned on him, before he's married to Todd the Psycho.
Todd once again took his fantasies and warped them into another ironic nightmare. Jesse had plans for California; he planned on leaving the meth business behind with Jane in tow and they start new lives opening a comic book store in Santa Monica. Now, he's going to Los Angeles, the worst part of California, for a honeymoon. A honeymoon, that's a laugh; what would take place during such honeymoon? Shall Jesse be tied up and gagged while Todd got his rocks off watching him struggle? Or perhaps Jesse would be forced to wear women's clothing again to keep this illusion of a normal married couple alive? The latter sounds the most like Todd.
He'll kill him. Oh, how he'll kill him.
Meanwhile, Todd is driving down the road, humming a tune to himself. He's blissfully unaware of his spouse's discontent; his head is clouded with fantasies of what's to take place in the greatest place in California, Los Angeles.
In his life of being a farm boy and proud country bumpkin, Todd had always dreamed of going to the big cities. New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Dallas, all names of big cities that movie stars go to for showing off their gorgeous smiles and prosperous wealth. He fell in love with Los Angeles: bright sunny days, gorgeous blonde women with perfect tans, fast paced streets that could make anyone a star; their promising streets and welcoming celebrities is enough to render the boy star-struck.
He wants to go there with Jesse; the bright sun and happy faces might brighten up his spouse. He scheduled a romantic getaway in the most posh hotel LA had to offer; two weeks of romantic bliss that might warm Jesse up to him. And ease him to Todd's plans for the future.
In the long term, his fantasy life isn't complete without children. Todd and Jesse obviously can't make one themselves, the adoption centers won't exactly find two meth dealers suitable parents, and Todd doesn't know a woman in sight that's willing to be a surrogate mother. But when he thought back to Jesse's paternal nature, especially his attitude towards Brock, Todd hatched an idea that might suit them both.
Brock, a nice piece to the new Alquist-Pinkman household. There's a boy, but what about a girl?
Todd doesn't exactly care for girls, anyway. Too many emotions, clothes, toys, and hair products to go through to raise one. And God forbid the day they reach puberty and blood trickles down their thighs…
He thinks back to his talk with Jesse. Jesse has a little brother, a prodigy from what he researched. Jake. Jake sounds like a wonderful addition to their family. Smart, well-rounded, related to Jesse. He's perfect.
He could see it now: He and Jesse, with matching sweaters, posing for the camera as their two boys sit on chairs below them. They all smile, laugh, and crack corny jokes as the camera man keeps flashing his camera.
"I love you, Dad." Brock would say, and Todd would be moved to tears. Dad, such a lovely title…
They'd all live in a nicely furnished home and begin their morning: Jesse, with his pink apron and his back to the family, making breakfast while Todd reads the newspaper, pipe in his mouth. Brock and Jake would chatter away about a game they have to go to or an exam they need to study for. Breakfast would be served, and Jesse would make a few remarks with a smile, and the family would erupt in laughter.
Yes, it could work.
He'll make it work.
Even if it kills him.
