My note…this chapter will be a two parts that will feature some of our old Degrassi friends. There is a section in this chapter that will contain settings that may be different from how they are in New York...but for the sake of the story, let's pretend they're correct.
IMPROPRIETY
CHAPTER 7: SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW PT.1
"Ashley, would you mind waiting out here? I'd like to talk to you before class starts", Dave requested as his previous class filed out of the classroom, and Ashley's class filed in.
She nodded and waited patiently as the hallway emptied. Kelly looked back over her shoulder to make sure Ashley was alright . Ashley smiled back, signifying she'd be fine and Kelly walked into class.
"You left in such a hurry Friday night, I didn't get a chance to apologize for not making sure the meeting house was accessible before hand", Dave stated sincerely.
"It wasn't your place Dave, I should've made sure…the phone number was right on the flyer, I could've called…but I didn't", Ashley explained quietly. Dave gave her an empathetic smile and she continued.
"I know this probably sounds crazy, but sometimes I forget…", Ashley chuckled a little. "See, we really didn't have to deal with this, back home. Everything was familiar there, we frequented the places we knew Jimmy could get into and avoided those he couldn't", she added honestly returning Dave's smile. "Friday was a reality check…for both of us, between my paper and the seminar…".
"Yeah, about your paper, Ashley….", Dave cut in, but she interrupted first.
"No Dave, you were right…", Ashley admitted firmly. "Jimmy's disability does affect every aspect of our relationship…everything we do", she added, her voice slightly cracking.
Ashley fished through her bag. "Which is why I rewrote my paper", she stated, hading Dave the composition. "It's over five pages now…but it's all there".
"That's great Ashley, thanks", Dave smiled with unexpected surprise and held the door open for her. Ashley nodded and smiled back, as she walked into class.
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Ashley tried to keep the routine of the week as normal as possible and focus on the excitement of going home this weekend, for Thanksgiving and not on what was coming up on Friday…the third anniversary of the shooting.
Ashley awoke, early Friday morning to find Jimmy intently studying her. "Good morning", he greeted with a gentle smile.
"Couldn't sleep?", Ashley asked curiously. She knew he had been restless the last few days…sketching more, pushing himself a little harder in physio and heading out to the basketball court, every day after class.
"Just admiring the view", he stated, brushing his hand across her cheek. "I love watching you sleep".
Ashley blushed softly and smiled. "You're a terrible liar", she giggled, nestling closer to him.
"Honestly Ash, I just woke up about an hour ago", he stated adamantly, but Ashley knew differently. She vaugely remembered her eyes fluttering open around three am, to find Jimmy staring at the ceiling, she knew he didn't sleep well. Jimmy only occasionally mentioned having nightmares, but it was obvious to Ashley that they were back and a little more frequent, given the time of the year...and while they weren't always about Rick or the shooting, they were still quite disturbing and very annoying.
Jimmy pulled himself up a little and rested his head back against the headboard. Ashley could tell he was getting aggrivated with how the discussion was going, so she snuggled up and held him tight. "I've gotta start getting ready", he sighed hesitantly not wanting to break their connection. Ashley nodded knowingly and slowly moved over.
Jimmy situated himself to transfer, but Ashley quickly crept up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, before he could. "Mind if I join you?", she whispered sweetly into his ear.
Jimmy smiled and rested his face against hers. "I'd really like that", he said simply, and softly kissed her cheek.
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Ashley stepped into the shower with Jimmy and immediately began trying to loosen the knot between his shoulders. They took their time showering together and getting ready, then headed to the kitchen to eat breakfast.
"Okay, our flight leaves at nine am, so we need to be there at...seven?", she asked Jimmy as she looked over their itinerary.
"Seven thirty sounds better", Jimmy joked, pouring himself another bowl of cereal.
"Seven thirty", she repeated with a quick nod. She stalled again, looking down at the paper, but not really reading it. She wanted to ask Jimmy how he was doing or if he wanted to talk, but she was having trouble forming the right words...how do you ask the man you love, how he feels on the third anniversary of the shooting that left him confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life? Not exactly great breakfast conversastion.
"Ash...Ashley?", Jimmy called, waiving his hand in front of her face.
"Yeah, what?", she asked back, shaking the fomer thoughts from her head.
"Are you okay?", he asked, chuckling a bit.
"Fine. I'm just a little ovewhelmed, we have so much to cram it this weekend...", she stated, grabbing his hand. "...we fly home tomorrow morning, then we go right to lunch with our parents, drop off our luggage at your parents house, dinner at Ellie and Marco's...Sunday we..."
"Which is why I'm taking you out for a night on the town tonight", Jimmy stated happily, entwining his fingers with hers.
"What? Jimmy no, not tonight", she groaned in reply, putting a little too much emphasis on the 'tonight'.
"Yes, tonight", Jimmy replied firmly.
"Jimmy?", Ashley pleaded.
"No, Ash, I want to...really", he insisted, placing his empty cereal bowl in his lap and taking it over to the sink.
Ashley came up behind him and ran her hands down his chest. "Are you sure?", she asked conceredly.
"Positive", he grinned and twirled her around so she could sit on his lap.
"Okay", she agreed hesitantly and Jimmy kissed her on the lips.
Jimmy dipped her back and looked into her eyes. "Then I'll pick you up, say around six?", he invited, jokingly.
Ashley giggled and played along, "Six sounds wonderful".
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Jimmy spared no expense, treating Ashley to one of the finest restaurants in the city. After dinner, he suggested they take a walk through Central Park. As they were strolling along the sidewalk, Jimmy notice the large merry-go-round to their right, had caught Ashley's eye.
"You wanna ride?", he asked playfully nodding to the carousel.
"No, Jimmy...I'm too old to...", she began to protest, but Jimmy took off toward the horses, leaving Ashley with only one option...to follow him.
"You're never too old to have fun, Ash", he stated, as he happily paid for Ashley's ticket.
Jimmy sat right outside the ride and watched as Ashley climbed onto a pretty white horse with the colorful saddle...sitting sideways so she could sit properly in the little balck dress she was wearing. He watched her giggle as the ride started and waived back when she waived to him.
After the ride, Ashley hurried over to Jimmy and planted a firm kiss on his lips. She walked along side him with a little extra skip in her step as they reached their next destination...ice cream. Even though Jimmy had already sprung for dessert with their meal, he insisted there was always room for some ice cream.
They agreed to share a double cone, but Ashley was monopolizing the ice cream while Jimmy pushed along. She teased him by holding the cone down to his level, but just out of his reach. This happened about three more times before Jimmy had enough and pulled Ashley down onto his lap, and the ice cream cone out of her hand.
Ashley laughed heartily and Jimmy held the cone between them, so they could share fairly. She looked deep into his eyes and found something different about them. Ashley could always read Jimmy by his eyes, if he was tired, angry, frustrated, happy, sad, stressed...she'd know right away, but today his eyes were just brilliant...and a little mysterious, too.
They were both so deeply into one another, that when a horse and carriage passed them, they were startled a bit. "Well, that definitely makes the fiberglass one you were sitting on, not so attractive", Jimmy chuckled, nodding over to the carriage house a few feet away.
"Oh Jimmy, they're beautiful", Ashley stated dreamily, sliding off of Jimmy's lap and walking toward the horses.
"Uh, Ash", Jimmy called out, motioning to the ice cream cone she left him with, something Jimmy was not willing to carry in his lap. Ashley giggled and ran back to retrieve the treat, so Jimmy could follow her.
Jimmy secretly exchanged money with an attendant while Ashley admired the beautiful horse drawn carriages. "Pick one", he stated, pulling up beside her.
"What?", she questioned, thoroughly confused.
"Pick one that you wanna take a ride in", Jimmy reiterated, a huge grin spreading across his face.
Ashley looked from the carriage, back to Jimmy, and judging from the distance between the two, she knew there was no way he'd be able to make it up there. "Jimmy, we can't...", Ashley whispered, afraid she was disappointing him. "...it's too high".
Just then the attendant returned with a tall stool and placed it where Jimmy suggested. He easily transferred to the stool, then onto the carriage seat. Jimmy grinned at Ashley and patted the seat, next to him. She stood for a second, in stunned amazement, then smiled back.
Ashley quickly collapsed Jimmy's chair and brought it over to the carriage. "I've got it, it's not heavy", she informed the attendant as he reached for the chair, but he courteously lifted it into the carriage, then offered his hand to Ashley as she stepped on the rung of the carriage.
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"This is magical", Ashley cooed as she snuggled next to Jimmy.
"It's nice, but something's missing", Jimmy admitted indifferently.
Ashley gave him a bewildered look. "What could possibly be missing?", she asked incredulously.
"Well, for starters, this...", Jimmy replied playfully, with a sensuous kiss. Ashley smiled and blushed. "...or this...", he added, pulling a bouquet of a dozen red roses out from underneath the blanket on his right.
"Aww", she squealed excitedly, putting the roses up to her nose and inhaling.
"...and then, there's always this...", Jimmy stated, his voice cracking nervously. The flowers fell to her lap as Ashley sat gaping at the small velvet box slightly shaking, in Jimmy's hand. "The sky's a little dull tonight, I thought we could use more sparkle", he chuckled apprehensively.
Ashley's gaze finally left the box and locked with Jimmy's. "Yes", she blurted, the stunned expression on her face, unchanged.
"But I haven't asked you anything yet, Ash", he joked, relaxing a little.
"If that's what I think it is and you're about to ask me what I think you're going to ask me, then...YES", Ashley answered certainly.
Jimmy cleared his throat and blew out an uneasy breath, then slowly opened the little treasure chest he was holding. Ashley watched as he took out the delicate ring and slid it onto her finger. "Ashl..", was all he could get out before she started smothering him with kisses. He tried desperately to get all of the words out, but the only coherent ones were, "...will...marry...me".
Ashley nodded furiuosly and squeaked out a soft "yes".
The two were so caught up in the moment, they hadn't noticed the carriage had stopped until the driver turned around and yelled, "Say cheese". He snapped two quick pictures of the happy couple and handed one to each. Jimmy smiled in appreciation and the driver winked back.
Ashley caught on quickly, she turned to Jimmy and lovingly swatted him on the shoulder. "You planned this whole thing, didn't you?", she gasped with a sniffle, and dried her eyes. "The dinner, the walk through the park, the carriage ride, the roses...", she drifted off and looked down at her hand, more happy tears springing to her eyes. "You knew you could get in here...", she stated, overwhelmed at all he had done, just for her.
Jimmy shrugged innocently and smiled. "We came to the park a few times for basketball, that's when I met Jack, here...", he explained, motioning to their driver. "...I asked if there was any way we could make this happen. He suggested the stool, we practiced a few times and...".
"Thank you", Ashley stated appreciatively to Jack, he nodded acceptingly and turned back to finish their ride. "And thank you", she whispered, caressing Jimmy's cheek.
"I should be the one thanking you", Jimmy stated in return.
Ashley furrowed her brow in confusion. "Did you actually think I'd say no?", she questioned, with the slightest hint of resentment at his last statement. Jimmy shrugged slightly and shook his head dismissively.
"I want nothing more than to be your wife, Jimmy", Ashley assured him, snuggling closer as a light breeze caused her to shiver. Jimmy gave her a happy and almost relieved smile, then he pulled the blanket, that was sitting next to him, out and covered himself and Ashley with it. "I do have one question though...", she asked hesitantly, remembering again, what day it was. "Why now...why today? I know we've talked about getting engaged, but..".
Jimmy's slight chuckle interrupted Ashley and she looked over at him. "First of all, I wanted it to be a surprise...I didn't want you to suspect a thing...", he stated.
"So, is that why you've been so quite and distant lately...why you've been pushing yourself so hard and having trouble sleeping?", she questioned and looked down at her hand, then back up at Jimmy. "Or is it because of today?"
Jimmy took in a sharp breath and Ashley could see his apprehension as he chose his next words. "A little of both", he sighed and shrugged. "I wanted today to be a good day...I want to remember it as the day my life changed, for the better", he added, lifting Ashley's chin up with his finger and softly pressing his lips to hers.
"That's what I love most about you Ash, you make everything better", Jimmy continued and Ashley felt the sting of bittersweet tears, fill he eyes. "You make me forget the bad, and help me remember the good...", he trailed off, his own emotions coming to a head.
Ashley brushed off her damp cheeks and held Jimmy's gaze. "This is one day I will always, always remember...for the better", she assured him, sealing her promise with a kiss.
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End part one. Hope you were all surprised with the secret engagement. This chapter is the exception to my timeline rule, since it's a two-parter. Their trip home to Toronto will be next chapter, but it's not...let's just say, smooth sailing.
A little side note...since the story is taking place in fall 2007, and the Canadian Thanksgiving is on our Colombus day(Monday, Oct.8th), I made the anniversary date of the shooting, Oct.5th(Friday).
Samitiny...thank you for the wonderful review. There will be more of those issues and obstacles to come, so stay tuned. Hope this chapter was worth the wait.! Lilfiftyfour...wow, thanks for the awesome compliment, I really appreciate it. No, definitely not a genius...just a die-hard JimAsh fan. I'm glad you like it. BTW...I'll work on that one-shot, pm with you ideas and I'll put something together. Oh, and thanks for reviewing 'What if it were Jimmy', that means a lot.
Degrassi is not mine.
psst...I was a little worried by the lack of reviews for the last chapter, I hope no one's disappointed with the way this story's going. And if you've read the last chapter of Best Friends, please let me know what you thought of it. Thanks!
