Title: Tribe 4: The Bad Day Trilogy: But I Do Love You
Chapter: Section 13
Fandom: The Tribe
Author: PinkTribeChick
Summary: The most unexpected love in their world . . .
Extended Summary: An alternate-universe Series 4 romance story, from the point of view of Amber, Jack, Bray, and others.
Rating: Teen
Pairing: Jack/Amber, Bray/Amber, Pride/May, and Bray/Original Female Character, with many more to come!
Author's Notes: Massive thanks to Ariannya and Whit for their thoughts and proofreading on various sections over the years, especially Ariannya, because she is the one who got me to outline all my ideas for the story and then break them down into three separate stories, which became this trilogy!
Enjoy, and please review! Feedback is much appreciated!
This is easily my favorite section of the entire story – so I hope you enjoy!
*NOTE – PLEASE REMEMBER THESE NEXT FEW SECTIONS ARE FLASHBACKS OF HOW JACK AND AMBER'S ROMANCE BEGAN!*
Also, to see the dress Amber is wearing in this section, please check out the link in my profile to the picture.
Disclaimer: All characters, situations, and song lyrics remain the property of their respective owners. Any original characters are sole property of me, PinkTribeChick. The lyrics featured in this section are from "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton.
But I Do Love You
Section 13
Two hours later in a large barn that had been cleared out for the party, Jack paced nervously in front of the refreshment table. Tommy was leaning against the table casually, not a care in the world, trying not to laugh at Jack's pacing. Finally, he put an arm out in front of Jack and stopped him.
"What's got you so worked up?" Tommy asked, smiling.
"Nothing," Jack squeaked. "Nothing at all." Jack started to rub at an invisible spot on the white shirt he was wearing. Tommy laughed.
"Jack, relax. Whatever is bugging you, I'm sure it will be just fine," Tommy said. He knew what was making Jack so anxious, but he knew saying it outloud, talking about it, would only make Jack worse. "Would you like some punch or something?"
"With the state I'm in, I'm liable to spill it on myself and stain my shirt, or something else equally embarrassing," Jack responded quickly. He ran a hand through his perfectly tousled, messy hair. "What's taking the girls so long? They should be here by now." Jack started to pace again.
"Who knows what's taking them so long? They're chicks, Jack. They're always late everywhere," Tommy said. Jack paced faster. "Will you just relax?!" Jack stopped dead in his tracks, staring at Tommy incredulously.
"The girl that I am head over heels in love with is about to come through that door any minute, and you're bloody telling me to relax? Are you mad?!" Jack exclaimed, grabbing Tommy by the shirt collar. "Or do you just not grasp how much my life could possibly change in the next few hours because of her?!" Sighing impatiently, Jack let go of Tommy and half-sat, half-leaned on the table behind him.
"Dude, what has gotten into you? It's like you've gone psycho or something since that girl arrived!" Tommy commented, surprised by Jack's outburst. Usually Jack was abnormally calm under pressure.
"There was this moment between us last night, when we were dancing. When she was in my arms, it was just so perfect, and I couldn't help wishing it would last forever. I never knew it was possible to love someone that much, but I love her more than anything in the world," Jack said. "I don't know . . . I just got the feeling that she might have been feeling the same way I was."
"What, completely insane?" Tommy joked. Jack punched him on the arm lightly.
"Not funny," he said, smiling. "No . . . it's hard to explain. But from the moment I first saw her three days ago, it's been as if there's this invisible magnetic force drawing her and I together. As though we're meant to be," he said. He got a determined expression on his face, standing up straight and confidently, facing Tommy, with his back to the door. "And I promised myself last night . . . the moment she walks through that door, I'm going to tell her how I feel." Tommy looked around Jack at the door for a moment, then looked at Jack again.
"Well, if you don't shut up and get over there, your moment is going to go down the drain," Tommy said, pointing past Jack to the door. Jack spun around.
Amber was slowly walking into the beautifully decorated barn. She wore a spaghetti strap shimmery bisque-colored dress that had creamy-yellow and lavender flowers on it. The printed organza fabric reminded Jack of a Monet painting. The dress was a little billowy and touched the floor, and it had a matching shawl, which Amber had loosely draped about her arms. Her hair was pulled back with a jeweled banana comb, making her golden hair look like a cascade of curls falling down below her shoulders. He sucked in his breath at the sight of her. She saw him and smiled, walking over to him.
Amber thought Jack looked truly amazing. He wore a long-sleeve white oxford shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to just below his elbows and the top few buttons undone, and a pair of loose black chinos. As she made her way across the room to him, his face lit up with a sweet smile that made his eyes sparkle.
"Wow . . . ," was all Jack could think of to say to her. Amber pushed a tendril of hair behind her ear.
"Thanks," she said shyly. She looked around the room. It was lit by candles and twinkling white Christmas lights, and there were fresh flowers and greenery everywhere, as decorations. A stereo was set up across the room, playing a mix tape one of the Harvesters had made. "It's incredible in here, isn't it?"
"Yeah. You'd never know that just a few short hours ago this was, in fact, a barn," Jack said with mock seriousness. Amber laughed, making him grin. She looked more beautiful than ever that night, and Jack could feel himself melting into a Jack puddle again.
"Gosh . . . it's been so long since I've worn a dress. It feels strange," she said quietly, touching the flared skirt of her dress. Jack smiled, looking down at his feet.
"You look beautiful tonight, Amber. Absolutely incredible," he told her, looking back up at her. She blushed, smiling again. He ran an awkward hand through his carelessly combed brown hair, smiling back, a move Amber found very sexy for some reason.
A few couples were dancing in the middle of the room, in a large space that had been designated as the dance floor. A slow song was playing. It was one of Jack's favorite artists, and a song he would eventually come to always associate with Amber when he heard it.
"Will you dance with me?" he asked softly.
"I'd love to," she replied. He took her hand, and they walked to the dance floor. They danced close together, her head on his shoulder, as the song played.
"It's late in the evening, she's wondering what clothes to wear . . . she puts on her makeup and brushes her long blonde hair . . . and then she asks me . . . do I look all right . . . And I say . . . yes, you look wonderful tonight . . ."
"Jack?" Amber whispered.
"Mm-hmm?" He felt like he was floating on air with her right then, as though there was nothing in the world that could make the moment better than it already was.
"Do you remember I told you last night I needed to tell you something?"
"Yeah," he responded, looking at her. She had a very pensive expression on her face. "Actually, there's something I need to tell you, too."
"We go a party and everyone turns to see . . . this beautiful lady that's walking around with me . . . and then she asks me . . . do you feel all right . . . and I say . . . yes, I feel wonderful tonight . . ."
"You go first, since you brought it up," he said.
"No, you go first. It's probably more important anyway . . . what you have to say," she offered, smiling.
"No . . . ladies first," he said, grinning. "My dad taught me well. He had that drilled into my head by the time I was five." Amber laughed.
"The perfect gentleman," she said kindly. "But, I still insist, you first." Jack thought for a moment. It was obvious neither of them were going to back down. He knew he certainly wasn't. A compromise came to mind.
"How about we both say whatever it is we need to say at the same time? That way, no one has to go first," he suggested.
"Alright . . . on the count of three?" she agreed. Jack nodded, taking a deep breath. She did the same. "One . . . two . . . three . . ."
"I love you," they both blurted out at the same time. Amber gasped, and Jack's eyes widened.
"Wait . . . that . . . you . . . ," Jack sputtered.
"And . . . you . . . ," Amber said, pointing at him. "Wow . . ." Amber smiled in amazement. They stood there in shock, still wrapped up in each others arms.
"I feel wonderful because I see . . . the love light in your eyes . . . and the wonder of it all . . . is that you just don't realize how much I love you . . ."
"Well . . . I meant what I said," Jack finally stated, as they stared at each other.
"I meant what I said, too," she replied. "I do love you." Jack smiled, touching her cheek tenderly.
"God . . . why did I have such a hard time telling you?" he murmured. He put his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. "I love you so much, Amber. I've been wanting to tell you for days now and just couldn't do it."
"I know the feeling," she said, giggling in an unsure manner. They gazed into each other's eyes.
"It's time to go home now and I've got an aching head . . . so I give her the car keys and she helps me to bed . . . and then I tell her, as I turn out the light . . . I say . . . my darling, you were wonderful tonight . . . oh, my darling, you were wonderful tonight . . ."
Jack slowly, gently, kissed Amber on the lips. Magic. Even as the music went to a faster song, Amber and Jack continued to dance slowly, kissing like the world was about to end. Even though it sort of had in a way already.
That's it for now! Please review – I'm anxious to hear your thoughts! And thanks for reading!