A/N: Don't hate me for this. It's the things work but there's always hope. Remember, I don't write unhappy endings.

Reparata

There is 'lie' in believe
'Over' in lover
'End' in friend
'Us' in trust
'Ex' in Next
And 'If' in Life

Jones – Chapter 12

He brushed his teeth and used mouthwash again figuring that Pam wouldn't appreciate his ashtray breath.

He turned off the bathroom light and walked down the hallway to her bedroom and then walked in, slipped under the sheet and lay there, uncertain of what to do next. Lucky for him, she'd anticipated his uncertainty and curled up with her back against him and pulled his arm over her and then sighed.

"See? Perfectly painless and now we'll sleep well and wake up refreshed and ready to tackle another day, sweetie."

It wasn't painless for him. His testicles ached and he found the touch of the backs of her thighs on his to be pure torture and when she snuggled her butt against his crotch in an innocent attempt to get 'closer', he thought he'd die of embarrassment.

"Pam, please don't…"

She gave her butt a little shimmy and smiled when she heard him groan deep in his chest. Her smile faltered when she felt something growing against her, something hard and rather lengthy and it was her turn to stifle a moan.

He shifted himself around a bit and then settled against her and fell asleep. His even breathing was comforting and soon she followed him.


He awoke at 5:45am as usual and gently untangled himself from her arms and legs and hit the bathroom and then went back down the hall and dressed. By 6:00 he'd made coffee, cut her up a fruit plate and then hit the gravel drive for his morning run.

"Donnie?" Her arms flailed around trying to locate him when she heard the screen door on the rear porch slam.

'Damn it! I wanted to make him breakfast this morning and serve it to him here in our bed. Damn whack-a-doodle Don and his schedules.'

Pam got out of bed, tossed her night clothes on the floor and walked to the bathroom for her morning shower. She had slept really well but had awakened a few times when he shifted around, once actually pulling her onto his chest when he moved to sleep on his back. She didn't mind at all since one hand had ended up cupping her butt and the other holding her head to his chest.

She walked downstairs and saw that it was overcast and she could hear thunder in the distance. Their contingency plan for rain was simple – move practice into the gymnasium for both her girls and his team. At least a rainstorm would cool things down.

He was about two miles from the house when it started to rain and he turned back and sped up. He needed to get to school and open the gym for the team and the girls who were still trying out for the squad. By the time he got in sight of the gravel drive he was soaked to the skin and the rain was coming down in sheets.

'Pam was standing on the porch watching the rain pour down and looking for her husband to come running up the drive any second now.

Where the hell is he? I'm going to drive up and meet him and get him out of this rain.' She grabbed a towel from the bathroom and was walking down the steps when she heard the back door slam.

Next Pam heard the dryer door slam shut and then the dryer start so she walked into the laundry room and handed him a towel. He was standing there in just his running shoes.

"Here's a towel, honey. I was just going to jump in the car and meet you." Her eyes roamed over his naked form and she felt an intense surge of lust but turned and walked into the kitchen. He never said anything but she knew his first instinct was to 'duck and cover' but other than an uncontrolled twitching, he hadn't done anything more than nod his head and frantically grab for the towel.


It rained off and on for the remainder of the week although Don still took the team for its Town Tour regardless of the weather. He was surprised at how well the team had adapted and also at how many people braved the rain and stood along the route, most with umbrellas but a few in just their street clothes.

Penny's selections were complete with surprisingly little whining, crying or complaining. She'd posted her point summary on the board in the gym and her selections were based purely on talent and merit, not on looks or who was related to whom. The captain from the previous year was not selected as one of the eight but did land a spot as one of the two reserve cheerleaders.


Team & Squad Party
Saturday
Jones Residence

The couple had invited the team & cheerleader and their families and a few Boosters to the end-of-camp party and they thought they had enough sodas, juices, hot dogs and hamburgers but they were wrong.

The Boosters brought Boosters and some folks just invited themselves and by 11am there were more than 200 people crowded around on the grass surrounding the house, playing Frisbee, talking with each other and drinking the beer that they'd brought themselves in the shade of the trees. A few had liquor bottles but kept them well away from the younger set.

Pam was in a panic. "Donnie, you need to go to the Kroger and buy out the hotdogs and beans and – "

She was interrupted by the sound of several car and truck horns pulling into the driveway and parking as close to the house as they could get. One of the trucks was pulling a huge BBQ contraption and several men helped wheel it into the backyard.

"Thought ya might be needing some fire for all those burgers and hot dogs." The owner of the Sundown grinned at Donnie and smiled at Pam. "There's 20 dozen hot dogs and buns and more sodas and ice in the back of the pickup trucks. You should have let the Boosters help out, Coach. Hell, that's what we're here for!"

Pam hugged Donnie and grinned and then went to help cook and serve but several of the Booster wives just shooed her away. "This is our pleasure, Miz Jones. It's the least we can do for the team and the Coach. We brought paper plates and salads and baked beans and chips so you run along, dear. We're gonna have a fine season and them boys are different this year. They got fire in their bellies!"

The party broke up about 4pm and Penny was dragging ass and Donnie wasn't far behind her. The Boosters had saved the day and they'd insisted on leaving the uncooked 'leftovers' for the couple as well as beans and chips and sodas and anything else that hadn't been eaten.

"I hope you like hamburgers and hotdogs and chips because we need to eat all this before it spoils. My God, the food those people ate! Did you have any of that potato salad? It had more pepper and hot stuff than Mexico! And I know it's not lady-like, Sheldon, so don't start lecturing me, but those beans could fuel a small city as soon as they get….y'know, never mind."

"I didn't eat much. Too busy answering questions, dodging 'suggestions' and meeting the guys' parents."

"Then finish up cleaning up and hauling those trash bags out to the road and I'll figure out something to cook. We hardly have a thing in the fridge."

"Sarcasm?" He could never be certain with her.

"Humor. I exaggerated the circumstances."

"Okay." He grabbed two of the dark green trash bags and took them out to the road for pickup. After several trips the yard was clear of trash although he wouldn't need to mow for sometime thanks to the crowd and their cars and trucks.

They picked at supper, watched Pam's movie selection on cable, and then headed upstairs to shower and go to bed. It was a comfortable routine for Donnie although Pam seemed to be 'stepping up' the physical aspects of their cuddling.

She started whispering 'I love you, Donnie' before falling asleep and never seemed to mind when he said nothing in response. Pam knew he was wrestling with his emotions and trying to sort through his feelings and that soon enough he'd respond with those 3 little words that would light up her life.

Pam began to wear less and less to bed ending up wearing only a long t-shirt. She also made no attempts to 'duck and cover' as Sheldon still did. She wasn't trying to seduce him or use sex to force him to do something he wasn't prepared for. She didn't go out of her way to be fully or partially nude around him but then again, she didn't avoid such opportunities either.

"Sheldon, can I ask you a very personal question?"

"Yes, Penny. I presume this has to do with – "

"Are you a virgin?" That's not what he expected at all. He thought she was going to ask him why he couldn't say those 3 little words but her question stunned him and he had a hard time saying the 3-letter word but finally stammered out "Y-yes."

"That's nice to know, honey. Um, I ah, well, I mean, are you…"

"I'm not gay, Penny. I have nothing against what people do in the privacy of their own homes."

"I'm glad you're a virgin, Donnie. I just wish I was, too, although it'll make things easier for us when we finally do it."

"You mean when we finally – "

"Please don't say 'have coitus', sweetie. It's a real mood killer."

"I was going to say 'make love' since that's what you really want, isn't it, Pamela? Not sex. The real deal with commitment and – "

"That's right, sweetie. Could we, I mean, would you mind, ah, can I kiss you, Donnie? I haven't forgotten the First Aid tent and how sweet it was. Can I have another?" He licked his lips and nodded.

She leaned in and touched her lips to his and felt his curl up into a smile and her hands had minds of their own and one snaked around his neck, holding him in place while the other trailed down over his chest, her nails lightly dragging against his skin until she reached his stomach and the waistband of his boxers and the she stopped.

She broke off the kiss but their lips were almost touching and she half-whispered, "I promise to take it slow, baby. You'll have to excuse the occasional slip up, okay?"

He nodded and then ran his palm up the back of her thigh until he was palming her butt cheek. His breath was coming faster and she chided herself for not wearing panties. The last thing she wanted was for him to feel threatened or uncomfortable. This was foreplay and she didn't care if it took months, she would not push him faster than he was willing to go. Small steps.

Another kiss and she boldly ran her tongue along his lower lip and almost giggled when he broke off the kiss and rubbed his lip. "Tickled and I was ill-prepared for such a move on your part." He surprised her then by slipping his hand behind her head and pulling her the few millimeters distance to his lips. He ran his tongue lightly across her lower lip and then laughed when she pulled back and rubbed it.

"Not funny, Donnie. I didn't mean to tickle you but you deliberately – " He kissed the corner of her mouth and then pulled her over onto him, their most frequent sleeping position, and kissed the top of her head and muttered 'night'.


Viking Field
Saturday afternoon
Exhibition game

Pam looked at the scoreboard clock and worried her thumbnail. The score was 7-0 in favor of last year's district champs but that had been a kickoff return that started the 2nd half. So far, the visitors had been rudely treated, actually having negative yardage thanks to the Viking defense that seemed impregnable.

She watched Donnie standing on the sidelines with his clipboard held behind his back and his other hand resting on his hip. He never seemed to get excited about any play but just stood there, watching the game unfold exactly as planned.

He let his quarterback call the plays with the exception of 3rd down. He always made some sign and the QB would nod and then run the play. It was late in the 4th quarter and although they had managed to get into the red zone a few times, they could never score. He kicked his ass mentally for not going for a field goal but he wanted this team to score a touchdown – something that hadn't been done by a Viking player in 2 years.

The visitors punted and a Viking player called for a fair catch but was mowed down by an opposing player. Donnie was on the field and in the face of the official shaking his fist in the man's face and pointing to his player who was dazed and had the wind knocked out of him. The officiating had sucked all afternoon long with holding penalties and offsides called against the Vikings more than the visiting team – a lot more.

The official finally threw the red penalty flag - and Donnie out of the game, but didn't penalize the other team for ignoring the fair catch signal.

He was livid but clamped down on his anger and called his team together.

"Gentlemen, remember the plan. Run, pass, pass, then do it again. I expect you to do your best. You've already won the game in my mind. They," meaning their opponents, "have been humiliated and have negative yards on the ground and only 10 in the air. It's time to unleash the Berserkers. I'll be waiting for you in the locker room. Win or lose, you've already proven you belong on that field."

He nodded to Dexter Quinn who looked like he was going to vomit but Basil Petrovna just clapped him on the back and laughed.

"I will not allow them to touch you, Dexter, and when you run, I will be blocking. Relax and do as the coach says. Unleash the Berserkers!"

The final score was 7-6. They scored their first touchdown in 2 seasons. The extra point attempt failed when the center overthrew the snap and Petrovna scooped it up and ran the ball for a 2pt conversion but was forced out of bounds at the 5 yard line just as time ran out.

Pam waited for her husband to finish up with the team and then they could go home. She watched the fans and laughed. They acted like they'd won and maybe they had.

Two men in suits got out of an SUV and approached her and introduced themselves and told her that her time in Hidden Valley was over, that Escobar was in custody and she had to testify before the Grand Jury in Los Angeles on Monday.


Donnie sat in his office just staring at the man sitting across from him. "You have got to be shitting me! Today! You're taking her away today?"

"Dr. Cooper, Escobar is in custody and the Feds want a Grand Jury indictment quickly so they can squeeze him and get him to roll over on his bosses in exchange for taking the death penalty off the table."

Don scrubbed his face with his hands. "How will you explain her disappearance? We're happy and people know that. You can't say she ran off with the milk man or something."

"Auto accident. It's already being set up. She was driving home to change clothes and meet you for a celebratory dinner when she lost control of her car and hit a tree and was killed on impact."

"No! You can't do this to us! I – I love her and she loves me and you're tearing us apart – "

"It's the way it has to be. She'll be looked after while she's testifying and then she can resume her life. The government will make certain arrangements and she'll have her career back, everything, just like all this never happened."

"But we happened! No! You don't get to do this. We have rights and – "

Paul leaned across the desk and grabbed Don's wrist and squeezed. He was in full agreement with him but he had a job to do. This was the shitty side of it.

"Doc, when this thing with Escobar is over and the heat dies down, you can find a way to be with her but for now, this is the way it has to be, believe it."

"I need to see her, to talk to her even if it's just for a few minutes. Please, Paul, I need to see her."

"It would be better for both of you if the break were clean but I can give you a few minutes. The Grand Jury meets on Monday and the Feds want her in L.A. tonight and they've laid on a plane for her."

Parking lot

"Donnie!" She ran to him and hugged him. She was already crying and he needed her to calm down so she could listen to him.

It took a few moments but finally she quit sobbing but wouldn't release her hold on him. He used the pads of his thumbs to wipe away the tears before he spoke to her.

"Pamela, I love you. I love Penny but I love you best. I know it doesn't make any sense but it's how I feel and I'll never love another woman."

"I won't go. They can't make me go. We'll give them the slip and go to Canada. It's only a night's drive and we can – "

"You need to go, Penny. You can have your life back. This is your chance. You can star in your Lifetime movie and – "

"We have to go now. I'm sorry, I wish we could give you more time but – "

"Come with me, Donnie. Come with me and get your life back. I don't want this without you. I can't do this without you. Please…"

He kissed her and it wasn't a Sheldon Cooper special. It was the kiss under the canvas in the First Aid tent. It was the kiss in the laundry room. It was their last kiss.

He watched the black SUV pulled away and suddenly realized he was truly alone for the first time in his life.

"I'll drive you to the hospital in an hour or so where you'll identify her…remains and then we'll go back to your house and we'll arrange a funeral service. Dr. Cooper, are you listening to me?"

"Paul, Dr. Cooper is dead, remember? Let's go and get this farce over with and then I don't want to see you or any of your people ever again. Is that clear?"

A/N: The next chapter is written and covers Penny's return and the making of the movie and her meeting with her boys.