I know it's short but I've been sneaking in writing when I should be doing other things… like practicing and working.
Pure Fluff… Plain and simple :)
Chapter Twenty One - I Never Saw Blue Like That
Jake opened her eyes and glanced at the clock. She noticed that she had been asleep for about three hours. Gellar was sound asleep next to her on the bed but Mandy was nowhere in sight. She vaguely remembered Mandy waking her up once they had returned to the house. She remembered walking in and Mandy leading her to the bedroom. Everything after that was a blur.
The bedroom door was slightly cracked and she could make out the dim living room light from down the hall. Soft muted sounds from the piano could be heard as well.
Jake looked down at the sleeping child next to her and stood up. She grabbed the pillows off the bed and positioned them around Gellar to prevent her from moving around and falling off. After stretching, Jake tiptoed down the hall to the living room.
Mandy was sitting at the piano, her back to the entrance. She stopped playing long enough to make some notes on the manuscript paper in front of her. From the door, Jake recognized the notepad Mandy had written her poem on. Her name written all over the page kind of gave it away.
Just as Jake was about to make her presence known, Mandy began to play and sing softly. "Today we took a walk up the street; we picked a flower and climbed the hill above the lake. And secret thoughts were said aloud, we watched the faces in the clouds until the clouds had blown away..."
As Jake listened, she remembered Mandy and herself doing the very things the young teacher was singing about. This song, she realized, was about her. "And were we ever somewhere else? You know, it's hard to say... And I never saw blue like that before. Across the sky, around the world. You're giving me all you have and more. And no one else has ever shown me how to see the world the way I see it now. Oh, I never saw blue like that…"
Jake knew that she shouldn't be listening but she couldn't stop herself; she was mesmerized by the beauty of Mandy's voice. "I can't believe a month ago, I was alone. I didn't know you; I hadn't seen you or heard your name. And even now, I'm so amazed, it's like a dream, it's like a rainbow, it's like the rain. And some things are the way they are and words just can't explain..."
Jake closed her eyes and recalled the two of them standing on Karen's porch at the Halloween party.
"I'm all yours."
"Are you?"
"Yes... God, Baby... your eyes are so blue... I've... never seen blue quite like that."
Jake watched Mandy tilt her head slightly as her fingers caressed the keys on the piano; creating the most beautiful melody Jake had ever heard. She imagined Mandy closing her eyes as she sang the heartfelt lyrics. "'Cause I never saw blue like that before. Across the sky, around the world. You're giving me all you have and more. And no one else has ever shown me how to see the world the way I see it now. Oh, I never saw blue like that before."
More memories flashed in Jake's mind.
"...Good. Because I really like you, too. Jake, I don't know what I'm doing here but, I know what I feel and I like you. I'd really like the chance to see where this could lead..."
"...Baby, you need to make a wish and blow out your candles."
"Nuh-uh… it already came true. I wanted you..."
"...I love kissing you."
"...And... I don't think I even can remember my life before you..."
"...Jake?"
"Yes?"
"I lo..."
Tears were now flowing freely down Jake's cheeks as she realized what Mandy had been doing all along. In her own subtle way, Mandy had been telling her that she loved her.
Mandy continued to sing; "And it feels like now, and it feels always and it feels like coming home…"
Jake began to walk over towards the young woman. "I never saw blue like that before. Across the sky, around the world. You're giving me all you have and more. And no one else has ever shown me how to see the world the way I see it now. Oh, I never saw blue like that before. Oh, I... never saw blue like that…"
The last notes of the song, echoed through the frame of the piano as Jake placed a hand on Mandy's shoulder. Surprisingly enough, the young woman was not frightened by the sudden appearance of the woman who had haunted her every waking thought for weeks now. Jake helped turn Mandy around on the piano bench and then dropped to her knees at Mandy's feet. Sitting on her heels, she placed her head in Mandy's lap and wrapped her arms around the small waist.
Mandy had no idea how much Jake had heard or if she had heard any of it at all. She ran her hands through the dark hair spilled across her lap. As Jake looked up into emerald green, Mandy became disturbed at the tears staining the beautiful face.
"Baby, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"
Jake just continued to look into her eyes. "Mandy..."
Mandy placed her hand against Jake's cheek and wiped the falling tears with her thumb. "What is it, baby?" Mandy's heart began to beat faster.
Jake held the hand against her cheek, turning her head, slightly, to kiss the palm. "Mandy..." Jake repeated her name. She rose up until she was on her knees. She ran her hand through Mandy's hair and against the back of her neck; pulling gently until her lips were close enough to kiss. "Mandy..." Jake whispered against Mandy's lips as she kissed them.
Mandy had no idea why Jake kept repeating her name but if truth be known, she loved the way it sounded. "I'm right here, Baby." Mandy managed to get out between kisses.
After several moments, they broke away and gazed into each other's eyes.
"Jake, honey? Please tell me what's wrong..." Mandy was worried wondering what could have made Jake cry.
The response she received was the warmest smile to ever cross Jake's features. "Nothing's wrong, Baby." Jake answered. "Not a thing in the world..."
"Then, why are you crying?"
Jake placed a hand against Mandy's cheek and traced her top lip with her thumb. "Mandy..." Jake reached up once again to brush her lips across Mandy's. "I love you."
Until the moment those three little words passed over Jake's lips, directed at her, Mandy had no idea how much she, herself, had wanted to hear them. She pulled away from their kiss, not the least bit surprised to feel the moisture on her own cheeks. "Oh God, Baby... Say it again, please?"
Jake smiled as she brought Mandy's hands to her lips. She placed the small fingertips against her lips so Mandy could feel the air pass over them. "I love you, Mandy."
Mandy noticed that her heart sped up until she was sure it would beat out of her chest. "Just one more time, please?"
"Mandy... I love you."
A kiss to Mandy's right eye, "I love you..." The left eye, "I love you..."
The right cheek, "I love you." The left cheek, "I love you."
And then finally to waiting lips. As they kissed, Jake wrapped her arms around the small waist and urged the young woman off the piano bench and down onto her lap. The kiss intensified until after several heated moments they broke away from each other enough to catch a much-needed breath of air.
"I love you, Mandy." Jake whispered once again.
Mandy ran her hand down Jake's cheek as blue eyes never left her own. "God, Jake... I love you, too. More than I can even begin to explain." Their lips met again as they continued to whisper those three little words against each other's lips.
And for once that day, Jake knew what she was truly thankful for. And for the moment... everything was perfect. Until Gellar woke up with a slight fever. Mandy gave the child some medicine. Both women stayed up for a while longer to keep an eye on her until she was able to go back to sleep. After putting Gellar in her room and turning on the baby monitor, Jake and Mandy went to bed.
The alarm clock went off early Friday morning. Mandy had forgotten about the holiday and, out of habit, set the clock. Still half asleep, she turned off the alarm and began to drag herself out of the warm haven she was nestled in. She started to sit up when Jake's arm around her waist stopped her.
"Where are you going?" Jake asked; her voice thick with sleep.
Mandy sat on the side of the bed and began to rub her eyes. "To get ready for work. You too, Honey. You're going to be late."
Jake began to chuckle as she pulled Mandy back down to lie against her. She kissed Mandy on the cheek as she wrapped her arm tight around the small waist. "Baby, there's no school today," she whispered into the small ear so close to her lips.
A small smile found its way onto Mandy's face as she held Jake's arm tight against her. "Oh yeah, I forgot."
Jake continued to kiss Mandy on her cheek until the smaller woman rolled over to face her. Mandy worked her arms around Jake's body and pulled their bodies as close as they could get. "That means you're all mine. All morning." Mandy placed a kiss on Jake's chin. "Does this mean I get to keep you all weekend, too?"
Jake smiled at the question. "I think I could be persuaded." She tilted her head forward and brushed her lips across Mandy's.
Jake started to pull back when Mandy's hand, tangled in the back of her hair, stopped her. "Nuh-uh... where do you think you're going?" Mandy asked with a grin as she pulled Jake back to kiss her again. She wrapped her leg around Jake's and ran her foot up the backside of Jake's leg as their kiss deepened. Just as they could both feel their world beginning to spin out of control, they backed off. Jake brought her hand up and caressed Mandy's cheek.
"I love you," Mandy whispered as she looked into Jake's eyes.
"I love you."
Mandy placed one last, soft kiss against Jake's lips before placing her head underneath Jake's chin and allowing sleep to claim her once again.
A couple of hours later, Jake woke up. She wasn't exactly sure what had awakened her. She listened, quietly, for a moment and heard a small whimper. She looked over to Mandy who was sleeping peacefully against her shoulder. She then realized that the whimper she heard came from the baby monitor next to the bed.
Jake carefully extracted herself out from underneath Mandy and got out of bed. She tucked the covers snuggly against the smaller woman, who grumbled in her sleep as if to protest the brunette not being next to her.
Jake slipped out of Mandy's bedroom and into Gellar's. She walked over to Gellar's crib and picked her up. "What's the matter, Punkin'?" Jake whispered as Gellar clung to her.
"A.J." Gellar whimpered.
Jake placed her cheek against the child's forehead and felt the fever."You don't feel good, baby?" Jake asked as she, gently, rocked her back and forth.
"Nuh-uh." Gellar began crying, softly, against Jake's shoulder.
"Okay, Sweetheart, okay. We'll make it better."
Jake walked over to the changing table to change Gellar's diaper. Mandy had been trying to potty-train Gellar and the child had been doing very well but still wore a diaper while sleeping. Jake unbuttoned Gellar's Pooh sleeper and removed the damp diaper. She cleaned the small bottom and reached for a fresh diaper as Gellar grabbed her hand.
"What is it, Punkin'?"
"Big girl pants."
Jake smiled even though she knew the child probably couldn't see it. "You want big girl pants?"
"Dyeah."
"Okay, Sweetheart." Jake kept one hand on Gellar's stomach as she leaned down to get a pair of training pants out of the bottom drawer of the changing table. "Here you go, Gellar. Big girl pants. Do you need to go to the potty before I put them on you?"
Gellar shook her head in the negative. Jake dressed the toddler and picked her up. She walked into the bathroom across the hall and dimmed the light so as not to hurt Gellar's eyes. She was a glad she had installed the new dimmer switch the week before.
"Come on, Munchkin. Let's get you some medicine," Jake offered as she opened up the medicine cabinet and grabbed the children's cold medicine off the top shelf.
Gellar groaned and began to shake her tiny head back and forth. "No. No want meh-sun."
Jake placed the bottle on the counter. "Come on, Gellar. It'll make you feel better. You don't want to be sick when Daddy picks you up later."
Once again, Gellar shook her head and then buried her face in Jake's shoulder.
"Please?" Jake asked as she ran her free hand through tiny blonde locks.
"You," Gellar mumbled.
"What, Sweetie?"
"You dink it."
Jake realized the child wanted her to take some. Hell, if that's what it took, so be it. "Okay, will you take some if I do?"
Gellar nodded her head before placing her thumb in her mouth against Jake's shoulder.
Jake kissed the child's forehead, opened up the bottle and placed the tiny measuring cup on the counter. She poured some medicine into the cup and brought it to her lips. She swallowed it, trying hard not to grimace as she did so. No wonder the poor kid didn't want to take it; the stuff tasted horrible!
"There. Now it's your turn. You ready?" Jake asked as she rinsed out the cup.
Gellar grumbled a little but responded with a quiet "yes".
Jake checked the dosage on the bottle and poured the correct amount into the cup. She held it for Gellar as she drank it down, reluctantly. Gellar made a face and stuck her tongue out once she was done.
Jake placed the cup on the counter and hugged Gellar to her chest. "What a good girl. Thank you, Sweetie." She placed another kiss on Gellar's forehead.
"Nassey." Gellar said as Jake rinsed out the cup and placed the cap back on the bottle.
"I know it's nasty, Gellar. But it'll make you feel better. Come on, baby." She walked out of the bathroom, shutting off the light as she left. Gellar did not want to go back to bed. She didn't want Jake to put her down either so Jake walked around the front of the house with Gellar in her arms until the child became tired from the medicine.
Jake stretched out on the couch with Gellar lying on her chest. She grabbed an afghan off the back and covered them up.
Gellar began to squirm and threw off the cover. "Hot, A.J."
Jake grabbed the edge of the afghan and covered her back up. "I know you're hot, baby, but you need to keep this over you."
Gellar felt too bad to argue and fell asleep in Jake's arms. Jake reached behind her head to grab a tissue off the end table. She wiped Gellar's slightly runny nose and decided to close her eyes.
Just for a moment...
Title lyric, as well as the song Mandy wrote for Jake is "I Never Saw Blue Like That" by Shawn Colvin.
There's still plenty more to come! Please review! Thanks! :)