Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews you guys. Wrapping up the super depressing story line. Also getting some of the humor back into it.

Disclaimer: I own nothing


Chapter 29: Once In A Lifetime

Jaime walked into the bedroom where Julie was sitting. She sat down next to her.

"Hi," she said. Julie smiled. "You're staying aren't you?"

"Yeah," Julie said softly. "I think I am."

"Good," Jaime said. Julie looked at her. "You should." Julie closed her eyes. "I was in love with your father."

"Yeah, Mom, I know," Julie said. "But you just couldn't handle settling down so young and,"

"No, Julie," Jaime sighed, cutting her off. "That's why Josh and I split up." Julie looked at her. "I wasn't ever planning on acting on it. He was completely in love with your step mother," she sighed. "Plus he never really forgave me for leaving you."

"He did," Julie said. Jaime shook her head.

"He forgave me for leaving him," she whispered, "but never you." Julie hugged her. "God, honey, I'm sorry."

"It's OK," Julie said quietly. "I wish I'd known." Jaime nodded. "You were still in love with Dad?" Jaime nodded. "How long have you known?"

"Since the day I married Josh," Jaime sighed. "I'm sorry baby, I know you love Josh and I wouldn't,"

"Mom," Julie shook her head, "I love Josh, but you're my mother, I was just upset because you weren't talking to me about it." Jaime nodded. "Besides it doesn't matter now." Jaime nodded. Julie closed her eyes. "I can't believe he's gone."

"Do you remember when we moved in here?" Jaime smiled. Julie laughed.

"I remember yelling," Julie said. "And lots of it. Then we went to go see St. Elmo's Fire."

"You were the only three year old in the country to know that movie by heart," Jaime said proudly.

"Yeah, Mom, I wouldn't be so proud of that." Julie shook her head. "All of the coke they do in that movie and everything."

"Have you ever done cocaine?" Jaime said. "No!"

"You're a spectacular parent Mom," Julie said. "Really."

"No I'm not," Jaime laughed. "Cal did well though, and you'll be great for Mike and Steph." Julie nodded. "Have you told them yet?"

"I'm waiting until it gets a little more calm," Julie sighed. "But I'll tell them tonight."


Tammy filled a plate, she looked across the room at Fulton. He'd pushed her away and she felt really stupid. The worst part was she had no one to talk to. Tommy had already gone home with Diane, Jimmy was playing with the kids, she couldn't bother Julie with relationship problems and Kelly was nowhere to be found, which made her believe that Scooter and Kelly were continuing their honeymoon.

"Tammy," Steve walked over. She sighed and looked at him. "We need to talk."

"Do we?" She said. "I think we're fine." She walked outside. He sighed and followed after her. "Steve!"

"Baby," he said wrapping his hands around her arms. "Talk to me."

"Don't touch me," she shrugged him off. "And definitely don't call me baby!"

"Sorry," he said. "I just need to talk to you." She sighed.

"Fine, you want to talk?" She said. "How long have you been sleeping with Taylor?" He groaned.

"I'm not sleeping with her," he said. "We were just talking and we got caught up." Tammy looked at him. "I couldn't do that you or to Brett." She closed her eyes. "Tammy, I said some things yesterday, I didn't mean them."

"You meant them," she said. "I meant what I said too. This isn't working anymore."

"I guess not," he said softly. "I'll come down in a few days and get my stuff."

"OK," she whispered. "Call Giselle and let me know when."

"Sure," he nodded. She walked back inside.


Elena sat quietly on a couch. She'd come with Brad, but she somehow doubted that her presence would be soothing to Julie, who hated her.

"Hi there," Portman said, seeing her.

"Oh," she said. "Hi." She stood up to walk away.

"Lena," he sighed.

"Do you want to leave me sitting in a hotel room by myself like an idiot again, Dean?" She crossed her arms.

"Do you want to offer to cheat on your fiancé with me no strings attached again, Elena?" He retorted. "You didn't really want to do this." She rolled her eyes. "Lena."

"Brad and I are better than ever," she said straightening up. "I've even bought a dress now."

"Uh huh," he said. "So you're mad at me why?"

"Because you humiliated me," she said simply and turned around and walked away.

"Right," Portman sighed, "humiliation. She hates that."

"Hey," Jimmy said, as Elena walked by. He bounced Stephanie. "Stephie, I want you to meet someone, this is my friend Ellie."

"Hi," Stephanie whispered and stuck her thumb back in her mouth.

"Hi," Elena said. "I'm so sorry about you Mommy and Daddy sweetheart." Stephanie buried her head in Jimmy's shoulder. "You're lucky though, you've got Jimmy on your side." She looked at him. "He's the best."

"Jimmy loves me," Stephie whispered. Elena smiled. "I want to take a nap, Jimmy."

"OK baby," he said. "You OK?" He looked at Elena. She nodded. "I'll be right back." He took Stephanie upstairs and jogged back down.

"Are you doing OK?" She asked. "I mean, the breakup with Bonnie, and now you're a father overnight."

"I'm not a father," he shook his head. "I'm vaguely in love with two kids' legal guardian. It's a little different." Elena smiled. "You sure you're OK?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I told Dean off."

"Good for you," he patted her on the shoulder. "How're the wedding plans coming?"

"They're coming," she shrugged. "It just feels weird to finally be planning it." He nodded.

"Jimmy," Julie walked over. "Hi Elena."

"Hey," Elena hugged her. "I'm so sorry, sweetie."

"Jimmy, she's hugging me," Julie said. Jimmy nodded. "She's being nice. I'm scared"

"Your dad died, I can't say something like that dress makes you look totally thick wasted," Elena said rolling her eyes.

"Oh Good," Julie said. "You're not a pod person. Are you staying again tonight?" She pointed at Jimmy.

"Yeah, but then I have to get back down," he said. "I have classes."

"OK," she said. "You move back into my room? Mikey said he can sleep in his room tonight."

"Sure," Jimmy nodded.

"Great thanks," she kissed him on the cheek. "Nice to see you Elena." She walked away.

"You're not sharing a room?" Elena raised her eyebrows.

"Of course not," Jimmy said. "Her dad died, she's not ready to have sex, and she's been sharing a bed with Stephanie, because she hasn't been sleeping through the night."

"Oh," Elena said. "You're not sharing a room?" He rolled his eyes.

"Thanks for coming Elle," he said. She smiled and hugged him.


After everyone had left or gone to bed Tammy cleaned up the kitchen, she knew she was sleeping in Stephanie's room, since Mikey had reclaimed his room.

"Hi," Fulton said walking in the back door.

"Oh, good," she said. "I haven't been rejected enough times in the past few days."

"Come on Tam," he said. "I didn't mean to reject you." She stared at him. "OK, I did, but not like that."

"Please," she said. "Keep talking, I'm completely riveted." He smiled. She laughed. "I just, I don't know, I always had this feeling that we would find our way back to each other. Or at least that you still love me too."

"I do still love you," he said quietly. "I mean, I love Tanya, and I'm really happy to be marrying her, but it's not the same, nothing ever will be." She looked at him. "Tammy what we had, no one gets that twice, most people don't get it once." He noticed she'd been crying and wiped a tear off her cheek with his thumb. "But come on, we broke up because we were heading in different directions. Now we're practically on different planets."

"We live in different cities," she said. He looked at her. "Fult, we could make it work."

"No we couldn't," he said softly. "Tammy, we're not right for each other anymore. I'm a cop in Chicago, I live in a tiny crappy apartment, but I like my life. You just had Vanity Fair declare you the next Michael Kors for your aesthetic."

"You read that?" She said.

"I read everything about you," he shrugged. "I'm really proud of you, Tammy." She hugged him and pressed her head against his chest. "I just wish that I'd known everything that was going on with you."

"Really?" She whispered.

"Yes," he nodded. "Because I could have told you how stupid you were being." She looked at him wide eyed. "You're better than all of this. You're Tammy Duncan, you're the girl who spent a hundred thousand dollars on clothes in three months, because she refused to use blood money to finance her future. You can handle some guy treating you like crap." She laughed. "I mean, not to join your brother's camp, but Steve is kind of a douche." She laughed.

"He's not," she said. "He's a good guy, we just stayed together way too long."

"Tammy," Julie walked down into the kitchen, "I need to do something. My mom told me that she was still in love with my dad and I'm like," she stopped. "Hi Fulton, you're in my kitchen."

"Hi Cat," he said. "I'm sorry, how are you doing?"

"OK," Julie said. "Um, where's Steve?"

"His parents' house probably," Tammy said. "Fulton missed his plane, so I said he could sleep on the couch."

"Sure," Julie said. "Whatever, are you and Jimmy both driving back tomorrow?"

"Uh huh," Tammy said.

"OK," Julie said. "Good to see you Fult, thanks for coming." She hugged him.

"Hang in there Cat," he nodded. She smiled and walked upstairs. "You didn't tell her that you and Steve broke up."

"Her parents just died." Tammy said. "She doesn't need to deal with my angst." He hugged her. "Fult."

"Cat, I couldn't sleep," Steve walked in. "Right, of course, I don't know why I'm surprised."

"Steve, wait, it's not what you think," Tammy sighed.

"Whatever, baby," he said, "I've been waiting a long time for this to happen." He walked out and slammed the screen door.

"Shit!" Tammy sighed. Fulton smirked at her. "Don't look at me like that."

"Like what?" He shrugged innocently.

"Like you know what I'm thinking because you can read my mind," she said. "You haven't had a real conversation with me in three years, so you probably can't do that anymore."

"You love him," Fulton said with a smile.

"Well, of course I love him," she rolled her eyes. "We only broke up this morning, I'm not over it."

"Nah," he shook his head. "I guess you wouldn't be."


"Hi," Jaime said sitting down in the hotel lobby with Josh.

"Hi." He said. She took a deep breath. "You're ready to talk?"

"Yeah," she said. "I was in love with Cal. You were right about that. But he's dead now, and that's gonna take me a while to get over." He leaned across and kissed her.

"I know," he said. "But uh, I didn't sign those divorce papers yet, so um, when you're ready, I'll be your husband again."

"Right," Jaime nodded. "Are you sure?"

"Jaime," he said. "My feelings for you haven't changed." She touched his face. "I love you."

"I love you too," she said softly and kissed him. "I'm going to bed."

"Am I going to bed?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Joshua," she sighed, "you are not my husband right now, you can decide when you go to bed." She walked away and then turned around. "I just understood what you meant by that, which is proof of how tired I am, sorry, no, I can't have sex with you tonight."

"Got it," he nodded. "See you in the morning then."

"See you in the morning." She smiled. He nodded and stood up and kissed her. "Josh."

"Mm hm," he whispered.

"Thank you," she said. "For not giving up on us."

"I knew you'd come around." He shrugged. "Night, honey."

"Night," she said.


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