A/N: I've been working on this chapter all week, but somebody pointed out to me this morning that today is 4 months since Jasmine's death so it felt appropriate to post. I miss her so much /3
This chapter is v fluffy and I'm not even sorry, we were cheated of bonding moments between the three of them on screen so it only feels right to reimagine them now. One more chapter left of this part, and then we'll skip forward in time a little bit! I want to show the development of their relationship properly but also move the story on a little, so as always let me know any ideas or suggestions you might have. Also the ending of this chapter is pretty shitty, I couldn't get it to finish off properly so sorry about that.
Hope you enjoy, please r&r or drop me a message on here/tumblr! (my url is now jasminesnaylor btw)
Katie x
"Look out, here comes trouble," Jonny joked as he spotted his daughter running over to where he, Jac and Jasmine were sat. The three had spent the past ten minutes chatting whilst Emma entertained herself, which had mostly consisted of Jonny quizzing Jasmine on her medical career and hopes for the future. Jac had stayed quiet for the majority of the conversation, plagued by feelings of guilt at how her mistreatment had shaped Jasmine's experience of Holby thus far, but the young woman herself had determinedly steered clear of anything that could bring up unresolved issues, preferring instead to regale them with tales from her university days and the horrors of her past placements. Jasmine had been animatedly reenacting the dilemma of one particular patient that had even Jac chuckling when Jonny interrupted them, and she immediately stopped talking, trying to rein in the laughter threatening to escape.
"Yes, it would probably be a good idea if we didn't scar my child quite so early on," Jac offered sardonically. She looked pointedly at her sister, trying to be stern but as soon as Jasmine caught her eye she could no longer restrain herself. Both women burst out laughing as Emma came to a halt beside them.
"Why you laughing?" the three year old demanded, looking put out that she'd been excluded from whatever had caused them so much amusement. As Jasmine spluttered and Jac tried to pull herself together, Jonny quirked an eyebrow in their direction.
"Jasmine was just telling Mummy a joke, wasn't she?" he encouraged, silently thrilled to see how well the two were getting on although he tried not to show it. The redhead inhaled deeply. "Yes, she was." Emma furrowed her brow, not wanting to be left out. "Tell me, tell me!" she squealed. Jasmine glared at the Scot across the table – she obviously couldn't tell Emma the real story, so she'd just have to make something up.
"Erm, okay… Why are pirates called pirates? Because they arrrrrrr!"
It was the first thing that popped into her head – she'd always been useless at remembering jokes, but whilst working on Keller Sacha had frequently tried to cheer her up with a barrage of tragic one-liners, this being one of them. She looked up to see Emma giving her an unimpressed stare, Jac and Jonny at either side of her trying to suppress their laughter once more.
"That's boring. Come play again! You too Mummy," Emma turned her back to them and headed in the direction of the swings. Jonny nudged the redhead, encouraging her to stand up. "Go on, I'll watch the stuff for a while. You go with little miss comedy over here," he winked, causing Jasmine to roll her eyes in amusement.
"Well what was I supposed to say? You put me on the spot and it was all I could think of," she moaned, pulling herself to her feet. Jac scoffed. "If that's the best you can do then we've got a problem."
"Oh, hark at Sarah Millican over here," Jasmine retorted jokingly. "I didn't realise you're a comedy queen too."
"I can't help being good at everything," Jac singsonged as they made their way over to Emma.
Jonny watched their retreating backs, listening to the natural banter between the two. They were already acting like sisters – joking together, bickering, but with no malicious intent behind it, somewhat of a rarity wheres Jac was concerned. Even over the short time he'd spent with them that morning, Jonny could see a real relationship beginning to form, and Jac seemed to be relaxing into it more as time passed, allowing Jasmine to tease her without reverting to her usual defence mechanisms. It was a start, at least.
Watching the two women take turns pushing Emma on the swings, Jonny pondered his options for a minute. Jac had never particularly liked having her picture taken, usually quick to point out her flaws in each snap despite Jonny's protestations that she looked beautiful. However, he knew that her favourite photos were the candid ones he'd taken of her and Emma over the years – the poignant moments captured which seemed to show her at her most relaxed and happy. And given her rather uncharacteristic actions earlier on, Jonny was sure that Jac would appreciate him taking a few pictures of her together with her daughter and sister, whether she'd admit it or not. She and Jasmine had already missed out on decades of memories that should have been shared, milestones that should have been experienced together - today was the start of rebuilding what they could have had, and he was determined to do everything he could to make the day as special as possible. Capturing their first day as a family on camera would allow them to look back on the memories forever.
"Wow, I didn't realise how exhausting kids are. I don't know how you do it." Jasmine confessed as the sisters made their way back over to Jonny's table, Emma traipsing alongside them. Having never really spent any time with children before, the afternoon had given the blonde a newfound respect for her sister – how she managed to bring up a child whilst being a workaholic and retaining her title as one of the best surgeons in the country was anyone's guess. Jac shrugged. "You just get used to it. It's normal for me now." She glanced down at her daughter, who appeared to have lost her boundless energy from earlier on. "I think you've worn her out," she joked, causing Jasmine to chuckle. "More like she's worn me out!"
As they approached Jonny, he stood up, pulling on his jacket. "Looks like we have a tired princess," he smiled, as the smallest redhead threw herself melodramatically onto the bench, yawning. "I was just going to come and find you, actually. I'm going to have to head off now, I need to call into town before my shift."
Jac nodded. "That's fine, we won't be long ourselves judging by the state of madam here." She moved closer to Jonny, taking hold of his hand – a gesture that didn't go unnoticed by Jasmine, who smirked to herself before tactfully averting her eyes. "Thanks again for today. I really appreciate it."
"I told you, it's not a problem. You know where I am, you know, if you need anything." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze before removing it from her grasp and moving away.
"Emma, Daddy's going now. Say goodbye, please," Jac instructed. The little girl raised her arms for a hug. "Bye Daddy," she mumbled tiredly. "Love you." All three adults smiled at the interaction. "I love you too sweetheart," Jonny replied, before turning his attention to Jasmine. "And you – it was lovely to meet you! I get the feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of each other from now on," he teased gently.
"Likewise," the younger woman replied somewhat bashfully. That she had Jonny's seal of approval meant a hell of a lot – she'd seen the two of them talking earlier, and figured Jac must've confided in him. So to know that he believed they could make it work was a definite step in the right direction.
As Jonny left, the two women slipped onto the bench, Jasmine taking her place beside Emma. Just as Jac opened her mouth to speak, her phone rang. "I'd better take this," she sighed, turning her back on the two of them. "I would say keep an eye on her, but I doubt she'll be moving far." Jasmine nodded her acceptance and glanced across to her niece, who was clearly fighting sleep, as Jac walked away.
"Are you okay, Emma?" she asked gently, eliciting a quiet "mmmm" from the young girl as she rubbed her eyes blearily. "Tired," she elaborated, shuffling closer to Jasmine. Before she knew it, Emma had manouvered herself onto Jasmine's lap and curled up against her chest, eyes fluttering shut. Jasmine had to fight back the rush of emotion she felt as her niece's warm body rested against her own, the overwhelming connection she felt with the little girl at that moment taking her by surprise. Keep it together, Jasmine, she told herself. It's not a big deal. Okay, it's a massive deal, but don't make it one. Just breathe. Her arms automatically clasped around Emma, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. She wondered if this is what Jac had felt like the first time she held her daughter? After all, this was her first real bonding moment with Emma, the one she would've had when the girl was just a newborn had circumstances been different. Closing her eyes, Jasmine took a moment to absorb everything she was feeling, sure that once her sister returned the moment would be cut short and unsure when she'd next be able to experience something like this.
This was how Jac found the two a few minutes later as she arrived back, her heart leaping at the sight. Her daughter, clearly at the stage of tiredness she knew from experience brought the most tender moments, snuggled into Jasmine like she'd known her all her life. It was in that moment that the redhead knew for definite she was doing the right thing by building a relationship with her sister – Emma wasn't even aware of the circumstances surrounding their relationship yet, but it was clear that she was completely taken with the blonde, and vice versa. Jac didn't want to intrude on such a precious moment, but she knew this was a memory so special she needed to capture it. Quickly pulling her phone from her coat pocket, she took a number of shots before sitting back down opposite the two, knowing she had to interrupt their bonding time soon but wanting to hold onto the moment for as long as possible.
Feeling the bench dip slightly, Jasmine's eyes snapped open almost comically, realising that Jac was watching them. A sudden feeling of panic overtook her – would she think Jasmine was rushing things, being too intimate with her daughter seeing as Emma didn't even know who she was yet? What if she's mad? Her expression must have given her away, as Jac's gaze softened, a conflicted look of something Jasmine couldn't quite make out flickering across her face.
"Relax, Jasmine. It's fine," she spoke in a low voice, hoping not to wake her daughter. She tried to reassure the younger woman, who let out a breath she didn't realise she was holding. Jasmine smiled, her cheeks flushed. "All I did was ask her if she was okay, and the next thing I knew she'd crawled onto my lap."
"She must really like you then, she's never usually this clingy so early on," the redhead replied gently. They sat for a few moments in amicable silence.
"We should probably head off," Jac spoke. "No point us hanging around while she's asleep." Jasmine nodded her agreement, not wanting their outing to be over but knowing her sister had a point. "Do you want me to wake her?" The redhead shook her head. "No, let her sleep. With any luck she'll wake up once we're home and then she'll still sleep tonight too. If I carry her can you get the bags?"
"Sure. Are you sure you don't want me to carry her?" Jasmine asked half-heartedly. Jac smirked, expertly prising the little girl from her sister's grasp and placing her on her hip. Emma didn't even stir, curling into Jac's side seamlessly as Jasmine watched in awe. "It's just easier for me to take her, I won't wake her up by moving her. Sorry," she offered sincerely, "it's not that I don't trust you with her." Jasmine nodded in assurance. "It's fine, I get it. You don't have to justify yourself." Standing up and grabbing their bags, she moved to her sister's side as the three began their journey home.