Author's Note: Big chapter! Hope you guys like it.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 36: Ready, Set, Go

"Jimmy," Julie giggled as he kissed down her neck walking into his room. He kissed her pulling her grey school sweater off. "Jimmy, it's snowing I thought we could outside."

"No way," He whispered, laying her down on the bed, "Snow's cold. You're so warm," He kissed her, "Make me warm." They kissed heavily for a few minutes. She pulled at his tie. "What?"

"I can't make out with you while you're wearing the tie," She giggled.

"The tie goes," He nodded, pulling it off and throwing it onto the floor. They kissed again. "Oh I love you so much."

"Jimmy," She whimpered lightly, he nodded. "Can you do that thing?"

"Which thing," He whispered and started nibbling on her ear.

"The thing with your tongue," She giggled. He laughed and kissed her running his tongue along the roof of her mouth gently. She loved when he did that.

"Jimmy?" She said again.

"Julie, all this talking is really throwing my rhythm off," He sighed and sat up.

"Are you ready?" She whispered, he looked down at her. "Because I know I am." She sat up and kissed his neck. "And with Portman helping Ellie all day," She said, "This is a good time to not worry about anything else." He kissed her.

"I'm ready," He nodded. She smiled and unbuttoned her blouse. He slid it off and kissed her shoulders.

"I love you," She whimpered. "That feels so good."

"I want you to feel good," He whispered. "We're going to go nice and slow."

"Not too slow," She giggled, unbuttoning his shirt, while he moved his hand down and unbuttoned her skirt, she undid his pants.

"Julie," He said softly. She groaned and kissed him, "I need a second." He stood up.

"Where are you going?" She asked sitting up.

"Portman has to have condoms right?" He muttered, "I mean, he and Ellie do it all the time." She sighed.

"Forget it," She said. He looked at her. "If we have to steal condoms from Portman, we're not ready." She pulled her skirt back on.

"No, don't get dressed," He sighed and walked over, "We are ready, we are so ready." She kissed him and then put her blouse back on, "She's getting dressed, why is she getting dressed?"

"Because she loves you too much to screw up our relationship with sex," She laughed. "We'll know when we're ready." They kissed, "Do you need help?"

"I wasn't that ready yet," He shook his head. She laughed. "Are we going to be virgins forever?"

"No," She shook her head, "Just for the rest of tonight." She stood up.

"Where're you going?" He said, taking her hand.

"To change," She laughed.

"But why?" He nodded.

"Because, if we go for a walk in the snow and I'm wearing knee socks," She scrunched her face, "I'll freeze to death."

Meanwhile across town, another virgin was getting ready not to be. Tammy looked in the mirror and smiled as she brushed her hair. She was glad they hadn't just gotten it over with, because tonight was going to be amazing. She's made dinner and lit candles and gotten dressed up.

"Sweet, food!" She stopped and turned around. "Tammy, Brad's here."

"Hey," Brad waved, "You look really hot."

"What are you doing here?" She started at her brother. "You don't live here."

"Dad and Pauline had a fight," He shrugged, "Brad and I wanted to hang out, and while they're fighting it's totally awkward."

"Brad has a dorm room," She pointed out.

"There's no food at the dorm," Tommy shrugged, "What's with the candles? And why are you all dressed up?"

"Just, go someplace else," She said.

"Oh I know what this is," Brad nodded, she looked at him, "My brother Dave does this all the time, this is a sex date."

"Out," She pushed them out the door. On their way down, they ran into Fulton.

"Hey guys," He said.

"Take care of her," Tommy looked sternly at him. He nodded confused and then walked into the apartment.

"Hi," She smiled lightly.

"You're brother was just way weird," He pointed to the door. She kissed him. "Mm, don't care so much right now."

"Good," She whispered.

"Oh I remember this room," Portman laughed putting a box down in Elena's bedroom. She looked at him. "Where's your Mom?"

"She's at work," She shrugged, she kissed him. "She should be back later."

"Ellie," Her mother walked in, "Did you know that Tom Riley's dating someone?" She stopped, "Hello."

"Mom," Elena walked over, "This is my boyfriend, Dean Portman."

"Yes," She nodded, "I heard all about you last week. It's so nice to meet you."

"You too," He said awkwardly. "Um," He was nervous, his experience with Elena's family hadn't been stellar up to this point. Obviously there was her brother and the fact that when he'd met her father he'd had his hand up her skirt wasn't really something he was too proud of. "Your house is really great."

"Well, something good had to come out of my divorce," She laughed. Elena smiled but then looked at her, something was off. "Anyway, I see that you two got her all moved in, should we order something for dinner?"

"We'll be right down," Elena nodded. She smiled and walked downstairs. "I'm an idiot."

"Lena she seems great," He said, "You look upset."

"She's high," She sighed and sat down.

"Really?" He said, she nodded. "Are you sure? She really seemed fine."

"That means its pills," She said, "When it's booze she gets giggly, but the pills it's just her eyes."

"Maybe she's on antidepressants," He shrugged, "When Lisa was post partum she was on Prozac, and it made her all loopy."

"Dean," She looked at him, "She's a drug addict, prescription pills being her favorite, they wouldn't put her on Prozac." He nodded. "I thought it would be different this time. I'm so stupid."

"Hey," He looked at her, "Maybe it is different. Let's just have dinner."

"OK," She nodded softly and stood up walking out. She'd never looked so much like a little girl to him before. He had to keep reminding himself that despite her serious maturity, she was only fourteen.

"You know," Julie said, swinging her hand in Jimmy's, "I haven't taken a walk like this in a long time."

"It's the first snow Julie," He looked at her, "The snow melted in April so,"

"No, I mean, walking just to walk," She shrugged, "When I was in Venice, I did it all the time, it was kind of all I did actually."

"Were you alone on these walks?" He asked.

"Sometimes," She nodded, "Other times I was with Jaime, or with Paulo." He nodded.

"I never exactly got the scoop on Paulo," He sighed. She looked at him, "I'm curious."

"Paulo is now nineteen I think," She said matter of factly, "He's a student at some university in Rome. His mother is Jaime's housekeeper, and he thought I was a silly little American girl who drank too much espresso."

"You do drink too much espresso," He laughed. She giggled and kissed him. She didn't tell him everything, about her last night in the Villa, when she'd been packing and Paulo had come and said good bye and she had the distinct feeling that he wanted to kiss her. She knew she'd wanted to kiss him. She also didn't tell him about the letter that she'd been keeping in her desk, from Paulo assuring her that he thought of her often and that he hoped she'd come back to Venice that summer. She didn't care to interpret what that meant, but she quickly wrote him back that she thought about him too, but unfortunately was going to be spending the summer in California this year. As far as she was concerned, it wasn't actually that unfortunate, being around Paulo confused her. And she's had enough boy induced confusion over the past week to last her until graduation.

"So Dean seems nice," Mrs. Cole smiled. Elena looked at her with a frown.

"Five days," She said defiantly, "It's a new record right Mom?"

"Sweetie, what are you talking about?" Her mother asked. Ellie frowned and looked at her. "Don't do that with your face Elena, you'll get frown lines."

"What was it Mom?" She said, "Oxy Cotin? Or does that not do it for you anymore?"

"It's a light mood stabilizer that I was prescribed by my doctor," She said.

"I don't believe you," Ellie shook her head. She sighed and produced the bottle from a kitchen cabinet.

"Are you happy?" She said. Ellie nodded shamefully. "I made you and your brother a promise this time. I'm not going to relapse. This helps, a lot."

"You really liked Dean?" Ellie smiled. She nodded.

"I did," She said, "I was a little nervous, given your brother and father's description of him." Ellie laughed.

"I'm sorry I doubted you." She whispered.

"You have every right to be worried," She said and hugged her. "We're gonna make this work this time." Ellie smiled. She had her family back.

"Wow," Fulton said, Tammy looked at him, they were laying side by side post coital, "That was," He kissed her. "We should have done that a while ago."

"Um, yeah," She nodded. Did he really enjoy that? She'd mostly felt odd and uncomfortable. She looked at the clock. "It's almost ten thirty my mom should be home soon."

"OK," He nodded and kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you too," She smiled. This part was nice though. And he looked so happy. That was nice. He got out of bed and got dressed. Once he was gone Tammy sighed and pulled the covers over her head. She was sort of wishing she was still a virgin. At least then there was something to look forward to.

Review Please!