Chapter 34
Jessie sat in the back of the Impala quietly fuming. She hadn't spoken to either of the Winchesters after the tow truck showed up, while she gathered her belongings or during the ride. She hadn't spoken to anyone except the tow truck driver and Bobby. All the boys could gather from the conversation was that she was having her car towed to Bobby's place. Other than herself, she didn't want anyone to work on her car, besides him.
She barely said two words to them when they arrived at a hotel not far from the one Jessie and Sam would soon be heading to. She only brought her dufflebag in the room with her, heading straight for the bathroom.
When she didn't emerge from the bathroom in fifteen minutes, Sam knocked on the door asking if he could come in. She replied with a refusal, but he walked in any way.
She was standing by the mirror clad only in her bra and underwear when he opened the door.
"Sam!" she yelled when he walked in. "I told you not to come in."
He noticed she had a large purple bruise on the upper part of her left arm and a cut on her hip.
"Why didn't you tell me you were hurt?"
She sighed heavily. "I was too worried about getting out of that situation alive and then my car. I didn't even realize until we drove away that I was in pain at all."
"You could have told me when you finally realized it."
"It's not a big deal, Sam."
He shook his head in frustration. "It is when you're keeping secrets again."
"And you're making a big deal out of nothing."
"It isn't nothing to me, Jessie."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Get out, Sam."
He stood his ground for a moment before leaving, slamming the door behind him as he left.
She waited a moment to make sure he wasn't standing outside the door before she sat down onto the edge of the bathtub, covered her face with her hands and began to cry. It was the last thing she wanted to do, but she couldn't hold it back any longer. The stress of the upcoming case, the increasingly confusing demon problem, the damage to her car and now arguing with Sam, was too much to deal with all at once.
When she managed to finally get control over herself, she got dressed, splashed some water on her face, swallowing hard before walking out into the hotel room. She'd been expecting to see Sam waiting for her, instead she found Dean was the only one in the room.
He was sitting on the couch watching TV when she walked into the room. She had expected him to at least acknowledge her presence, but he didn't even glance in her direction.
"Where's Sam?"
"He went for a walk," he replied harshly.
She could tell by his tone he was upset with her, but she really wasn't in the mood to deal with him. She wanted to ignore him, but she realized she needed to ask him for the keys to his car, since she'd forgotten her laptop inside it. But before she could, he stood up from the couch, glancing in her direction.
"I don't want to get in the middle of whatever issues you're having with my brother, but I can't keep quiet this time."
"Dean—"
"No, Jessie. You're in the wrong this time, that I know for sure. If you're injured, you should be letting someone know. Period."
"I know you're right, Dean. And I was gonna tell him, but—nevermind."
He approached her slowly with a look of concern. "What's going on?"
She sighed, swallowing hard. "I'm just stressed out, Dean."
"I think there's more to it than that."
"What do you want me to say, Dean? Do you want me to tell you how afraid I am? That all this stuff with Crowley, and now Meg, is freaking me out. Is that what you want me to say?"
"If it's the truth, yeah."
She looked down towards the floor, crossing her arms across her chest. "I can't admit that, Dean. Not to you. Not to Sam."
He shook his head in disbelief. "Why? Because you're worried your ego will be bruised? That somehow you'll lose face. I don't think this is the time to worry about your pride."
"Pride has nothing to do with it, Dean. I can't say it out loud, because if I do, then I'll believe it."
He narrowed his eyes in scrutiny. "I don't think that's it. I think there's more to it."
"I can't believe you're gonna make me say it," she said with a sigh. "Fine. I'm scared, Dean. Are you happy?"
"Why would I be happy about that?"
She turned her back to him, unable to face him.
"I don't know," she replied, sounding dejected. "Some hunter I am."
"What are you talking about? You're a great hunter."
She turned around to face him again. "How can you say that? I'm afraid of demons. What kind of hunter is afraid of what they hunt?"
He snorted. "Are you serious? I'd be worried if you're weren't afraid. We're all afraid."
She shook her head. "Okay, maybe I need to elaborate. I'm not just afraid. I'm terrified."
"Are you telling me you've never been terrified of anything you've hunted?"
She shook her head. "Not like this, Dean. I freeze up every damn time."
He closed the space between them, placing his hands on her shoulders supportively. "It happens to all of us, Jessie. You'll get past it, I know you will. Just like this TV show thing. You'll be fine."
It took a moment for the words to sink in, but they did, and they even made her feel better.
She smiled at Dean. "Thank you for making me feel better," she said as she pulled away.
"I meant every word of it."
She laughed. "If you ever quit hunting, you could always go into motivational speaking."
"Ha, ha," he said with a smile. "Just do me a favor."
"What?"
"Apologize to, Sam—even if you don't mean it."
She nodded her head once. "I'm gonna wait outside for him."
"Good."
She smiled as she walked outside to wait for Sam, feeling much more optimistic about the stress in her life. She only had to hope that Sam had had enough time to cool down.
She only had to wait for about ten minutes when he finally came into view. He smiled slightly as he approached her, obviously pleased to find her waiting for him.
"I'm sorry, Sam," she said as he stopped in front of her. "I didn't mean to keep my injuries a secret."
"I know, Jess," he replied. "I know you didn't mean to. It's just a habit. I get it."
"Are you still pissed?"
"No. Just disappointed."
She sighed, looking away.
"You asked."
"I know, Sam, and I don't blame you," she said, reaching for his hand. "But—can we talk about this inside?"
He grasped her hand firmly, pulled her close, raising his other hand to her face. "You drive me crazy sometimes. Do you know that?"
"As long as it's only, sometimes," she said with a teasing smile.
He brushed his lips against hers lightly, teasing her at first, before kissing her lightly.
"We are gonna talk about this."
She opened her mouth to respond, when Dean walked outside.
"I'm going out for a couple hours. I thought the two of you might need some time alone," he said.
Sam looked at him curiously, while Jessie smiled in thanks. He quickly hopped into his car and drove away without another word.
"What was that about?"
"We had a heart to heart," she replied as he looked at her with shock. "Don't worry. There wasn't any bloodshed."
"That's good."
"Yup. And now it's our turn, Sam."
He smiled, allowing her to lead him into the hotel room, and onto the couch.
She explained her thoughts and fears to Sam, hoping to make him understand why she hadn't been thinking earlier. While she hoped she got through to him, she wasn't sure. However, she was positive that speaking about her deepest fears did inspire him to trust her a little more.
He did his best to allay her fears, while keeping his fears from her. He thought it was best not to tell her how afraid he was to lose her, in case it scared her away.
Their bodies were soon swept up in a fit of passion brought on by their fears. Fear of losing each other and the fear of the unknown. It began on the couch, but soon they were completely naked, exploring each other's bodies on one of the beds. Their needs were both so strong, it was over quickly. But after some cuddling, both were swept up again, only this time it lasted much longer.
They were still lying in bed together when Dean returned to the room. He'd been expecting something to be going on, so he knocked first, waiting for an all clear before he entered the room.
All three of them were in a good mood and smiling at the same time, which was rare, especially lately. And as much as he hated to, Dean needed to be the one to interject, after all, they were still working on a case.
"So what's the plan, fearless leader," he teased, glancing at Jessie.
She rolled her eyes playfully. "Well—I have an audition to attend tomorrow."
"And what am I gonna be doing?"
She sighed exaggeratedly. "I need you to do some more research. We still have no idea why this ghost is stuck in that building."
"I thought you already did research on this. What am I gonna be able to find out that you couldn't?"
She chuckled lightly. "Are you saying I'm better than you?"
"No," he replied with a roll of his eyes. "I'm just not sure where to start. If he's attached to a cursed object, then he would have traveled along with it. But he's stayed there for all these years from what we can tell, and yet there's no mention anywhere of anyone keeping any sort of trophy."
"I don't know what to say, Dean," she replied, shrugging her shoulders. "You'll have to work that out yourself. I have an audition to worry about."
"I don't think you have anything to worry about."
"Actually I do, Dean. If I don't get chosen, then the case is blown all to hell."
"Jessie," Sam called. "How many karaoke contests have you won?"
She shrugged. "I don't know, lots. Why?"
"Have you ever heard yourself?" Dean asked.
"What are you getting at?" she asked impatiently.
"Your voice is beautiful, although I hate your choice in music.
"Ha, ha," she replied mockingly.
"And if that doesn't work," he said, waiting for her curious look. "You can always tell them exactly who you are and what happened on American Idol. They'll take you in a heartbeat just for the sensationalism."
"Dean!" Sam said.
At first, she was shocked, and her instinct was to retort with something witty or insulting, but she knew deep down that he was right.
"No, he's right, Sam. I don't want to do that, but if I have to—"
"I don't think it'll come to that," he said hopefully.
"Me too, Sam. Me too."
They spent the rest of the day and night preparing for the case. Sam and Dean did what little researching they could from the hotel room, while Jessie did some voice exercises and tried to decide on a song to sing for the audition. She was torn between a few, but she needed something that showed her range and would wow the judges.
The next morning, Jessie woke up bright and early, showered and got dressed into something a little more feminine. She hadn't brought a whole wardrobe with her when she'd left her house, so she had very little to choose from. She hadn't thought of it the day before or she would have gone shopping, and now it was too late. Her audition was early in the morning. There was no time to shop.
She chose a simple black dress that seemed more suited for a business meeting than dress up. It was a more casual version of the outfit she usually wore when posing as an FBI agent, but it would have to do. She didn't have anything more suitable.
She woke the Winchesters up after she was finished getting ready. They all had coffee together, and Sam and Dean ate breakfast while Jessie watched, her stomach didn't feel up to eating.
She waited outside of the hotel for a cab with a sour look on her face. Sam understood the look, she was still pissed about her car. Dean had offered to lend her the Impala for the day, but she didn't take him up on the offer. She told him he would need it more than her, but Sam figured there must have been another reason, one he knew she wasn't going to share, and he wasn't going to press her for, she was already on edge.
Their cab ride only took a few minutes from their hotel, which is why they had chosen that particular one. Dean had wanted a cheaper motel, but Jessie had cut the argument short by offering to pay for everything, which she had gotten into the habit of doing any way. Sam seemed bothered by it from time to time, but Dean didn't seem to mind in the least.
When they arrived at the hotel for the audition, there were about a hundred couples waiting in line. Jessie felt her knees get weak, but Sam laid his arm around her supportively, which helped her relax.
When Jessie's number was called, she hesitated, feeling like she wanted to vomit. Sam nudged her gently when she didn't move. When she was finally able to move forwards, her legs felt heavy, like they were made of lead, but she managed to make it into the room where the judges were waiting.
The judges asked her some questions before they had her sing for them. She couldn't be positive, but it seemed like they weren't very interested in hearing her sing, like they'd already made up their minds. She knew she was right when they stopped her after twenty seconds to tell her she'd made it on to the show.
"What's wrong?" Sam asked after she was finished with the audition. "Did you get in?"
"Yeah, I did, Sam."
"Then what's the problem?"
She shook her head. "I knew it, Sam. I knew it was going to happen."
"What?"
"I think they know who I am. I barely had a chance to sing before they said I was in the show."
"But that's great, isn't it? At least you got in."
"Yeah, great for the case, but not so much for me."
"I think you're just being paranoid."
She glared at him with irritation. "Really? You really think so? Five women out of the hundred or so get chosen and they pick me without really hearing me sing. I don't think that's paranoia, Sam."
"Okay, maybe you're right, but what does it matter?"
"It matters that I'm going to be a spectacle on TV. How the hell am I going to hunt after this?"
"You'll tell people they must have you mistaken for someone else. It happens all the time."
"Whatever," she replied dismissively.
Sam knew by her tone and the look she gave him that the conversation was over, which was fine, because it was only a minute later when they were escorted to a room to wait.
By the end of the day—which seemed incredibly long to both Jessie and Sam—they had done several interviews with producers and many other people involved in the show. When they were shown to their room, Jessie collapsed onto the bed and closed her eyes to rest, but Sam had other plans. He climbed on the bed next to her, nuzzled up to her neck and began to kiss and nibble her lightly.
"Sam!" she said while giggling. "I'm tired."
"You're not too tired for this are you?" he asked before kissing her lips.
She pulled away from him slightly with a bright smile. "I would love to say no, but it's been such a long day, Sam."
He helped her get undressed, hoping she would change her mind, but she didn't. She was tired and he could see that she was, so he didn't push. He helped her into bed, cuddled up with her until she fell asleep, then crawled out of bed to check in with his brother.
The next day was spent in meetings, interviews and various other things for the shows. Sam wasn't quite sure how Jessie was handling it, but she never once complained, although if he thought she'd needed to, he would have listened. He found everything so tedious and over the top, he began to wonder why he'd talked her into going through with all of it.
The next day was, as one of the producers called it, a free day. While Sam would have to disagree with her definition of free, he was relieved there were no interviews or staff constantly bugging him and Jessie. They did have to meet the other couples on the show and get to know them, but so far, he found that the easiest part.
Jessie became more and more anxious as the day wore on. She knew there was less than twenty four hours before she would be on the stage, in front of hundreds of people in the audience and who knew how many watching on TV. They had barely had any time to do any sort of research for the case, which also made her anxious. While she knew that the ghost only seemed to attack women who made it into the top five, which didn't happen until the end of the week, she also knew she needed to find what was keeping the ghost earth bound before that time. She didn't want anyone else to die. And she didn't really want to stay on the show any longer than was necessary.
Jessie's nerves kicked in almost the exact moment she woke up the next morning. She felt queasy before she even climbed out of bed, which became steadily worse as she showered. By the time she began brushing her teeth, she was sure she couldn't handle it any longer. She kneeled in front of the toilet and began to vomit. She was once again brushing her teeth when Sam walked in to see how she was doing.
"I guess I'm nervous," she said, after rinsing her mouth.
"Are you sure that's it?" he asked with concern. "Do you normally get sick when you're nervous?"
"I feel fine, Sam," she replied in irritation. "Besides my stomach doing flip flops."
He looked as if he didn't believe her, but he didn't mention it again.
"While everyone is busy today, I'm gonna go snooping around. Unless you need me."
"No, I'm good, Sam. I think they're gonna keep me too busy to worry about what you're up to."
He pulled her into his arms. "I wish I could be by your side."
"I know, Sam," she said, wrapping her arms around him. "But we have a job to do. I just wish we could switch places."
He chuckled. "I would rather you wear the wig and grow the facial hair."
She laughed lightly. "Well, I think I could handle the wig, but growing facial hair might be kinda tough for me."
"Yeah, I think I look better with a beard."
"Definitely."
They kissed for a short time before they were interrupted by loud knocking at the door. Jessie knew it meant her freedom was at an end. It was time to prepare for the first show, and quite possibly her last. She reluctantly bid farewell to Sam, allowing herself to be ushered into the hallway with the rest of the women who would also be on the show, but her mind was left with Sam. She wanted nothing more than to help him with the case, not stuck with people she didn't know, pretending she was someone she wasn't.
It was difficult for Jessie to keep her mind on what was going on, instead of the idle chatter of the other women. They seemed a little catty, which annoyed her to no end. She had never enjoyed gossip and bitchiness, unless the gossip had something to do with a case. She did her best to tune them out, until she heard her name. She pretended not to hear what they were saying, but she was listening closely.
"I heard one of the producers talking about that Jessie girl yesterday. He said she was on the first American Idol and totally choked when she went on stage the first time. I don't think we have to worry about her."
"Yeah, I know. I went online and there's all kinds of stories about it. They even linked the clip of her fail on youtube."
Jessie instantly regretted listening to the women talking. All it did was make her feel more nervous, and afraid of losing the contents of her stomach again. From that moment on, she chose not to listen, unless someone mentioned the ghost.
The day seemed to pass in such a blur, it seemed too surreal. She'd been so busy during the day that she'd pretty much forgotten to be nervous, until it was time for the show. She wished she could have seen Sam before the show, he would have made her feel better, but she knew that wasn't possible. She could only hope that his inspiring words earlier, and those of Dean and Bobby days before, would get her through.
She had been terrified that she'd be the first one to sing that night, but the producers explained that everyone was so hyped to see if she would choke like she did on American Idol, they decided to leave her for last so people would tune in to the show longer. That explanation did nothing to help her nerves, not to mention she wanted to punch the producer in the face for even saying such a thing to her.
Only moments before she was to go on, she closed her eyes and took a few slow, deep breaths to calm herself. It wasn't nearly enough, but remembering Dean's inspiring words did. She had faced way more dangerous foes than her stage fright and she couldn't let it get the best of her. She wasn't the person she used to be and she couldn't allow it to affect who she was now.
When she was given her cue, she walked out onto the stage, head held high, although her legs felt heavy and shaky. She stood on her mark, waiting. She cleared her mind, waited for the music than began to sing. Sing like she never had before.
She'd chosen a song that not only had some meaning for her and this moment in her life, but it would also be talked about and hopefully lead to her being voted for. She needed to make it until at least the end of the week. The ghost had only attacked at the end of the week, and had only killed the women who made it into the top five.
Once she stepped off stage, she was bombarded with questions from people she'd never met, most of them sticking microphones, cameras, or both, in her face. All she wanted to do was have a few minutes to herself to breathe and unwind. She could still feel the blood pumping in her head and her legs shaking from the adrenaline rush. Before she could open her mouth to say something, one of the assistants swept in and took her into a room to have some privacy.
The private room wasn't very large, but it was full of overly large comfy chairs, bottles of water and the lights were dimmed. It was the perfect place to relax and unwind. Perhaps too perfect. She sat in the chair closest to the door, laid her head back, closing her eyes and almost fell asleep. However, her eyes opened the instant the door opened.
She turned her head towards the door, her eyes only half open.
"Sam!"
"Hey," he said quietly, sitting down beside her. "You look tired."
She rolled her eyes. "I just came crashing down from an adrenaline high."
"You did awesome out there, Jessie," he said, smiling proudly. "Not that I had any doubt."
"Thanks, Sam," she said with a slight smile. "I'm more concerned about the case though."
"You can't take one minute to celebrate your achievement?"
"Why are you changing the subject, Sam?"
"And why are you avoiding answering my question, Jessie?"
"It's done, it's over with, Sam. I managed not to choke, but I still have to go through with it again tomorrow night. I'd rather not think about it."
"Why? You did great," he replied, laying his hand on her knee.
"Just because I managed to get through with it, does not mean I wanna do it again."
He leaned in close, whispering in her ear. "You loved it and you know it."
She held an impassive gaze for a moment before she smiled. "You're right, I did. But I don't wanna quit my day job."
"I would never dream of asking you to."
She smiled, pulled him closer and began to kiss him slowly. They only kissed for a few moments when they heard a commotion outside. They pulled away from each other just in time to be joined in the room by a crowd of people.
After several quick interviews, Jessie made it back into her room, where Sam had decided to wait for her. He'd been pushed out of the way and found it easier just to stay out of the way. It took that moment for him to realize why she didn't want a life like this. Having a camera and microphone shoved in your face constantly was truly irritating. He was glad that it was only temporary.
Jessie surprised Sam by pulling out her laptop, which had been hidden in her suitcase, and laid it on the bed, where she sat down and turned it on.
"What're you doing, Jessie?" he asked with curiosity, sitting beside her.
"What does it look like?" she asked sarcastically.
"I thought we weren't allowed to access the internet?"
"Do you think I'd let that stop me, Sam?" she asked with a smile. "You do remember what I can do, right?"
He shook his head. "Yeah."
"Well, I'm curious to see what's being said about me."
"Are you sure you want to know?"
She sighed. "No, not really. But I do need to know if I'm gonna have to take some desperate measures."
"Like what?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
She laughed. "Did you really think I would leave this contest up to chance, Sam? I can't lose. Not until we gank that ghost."
"I get that. But what do you think you can do?"
"Um, hello, Sam, hacker."
"You mean, uh, you would—"
"Yes, Sam, but only if I have to. It's not as easy as I make it sound."
He laughed. "You're so full of yourself."
She rolled her eyes, pretending to be offended. "Yeah, and you love it."
"Not really," he said teasingly. "But I love you."
She smiled, reached her hand out, entwining her fingers into his. She leaned closer to kiss him, then her phone went off.
She smiled at Sam apologetically before she answered her phone. She wouldn't have let it interrupt them if it hadn't been Bobby, but she really wanted to talk to him. He had only wanted to tell her how proud he was, but she was happy to hear his voice regardless of the reason.
After the couple made love, they fell asleep in each other's arms, not waking until they heard pounding on their door the next morning. They'd slept in past their wake up call, so they had to rush to shower and get dressed.
"What's wrong?" Sam asked Jessie while they were eating breakfast.
She was pushing some scrambled eggs around her plate with her fork. His question made her glance at him with curiosity.
"Why?"
"You've barely eaten anything in days. What's going on?"
"My stomach is queasy. It's nothing."
He laid his hand on top of hers supportively. "You'll do fine today, Jessie."
She wanted to tell him she didn't think her nausea had anything to do with the show, but she wasn't sure what else could be causing it either.
"Thank you, Sam," she replied with a smile.
After breakfast, some of the people with the show herded the five newcomers and their husbands into one big room. Everyone seemed to know what was going on, except Jessie and Sam. They traded curious glances, but kept silent.
They waited for what seemed like forever, however, it was only ten minutes or so, before someone came for the couple, escorting them down the hallway and into another room, complete with a green screen and filled with lights and camera equipment. They traded curious glances again while they waited in a couple of chairs they'd been provided.
It wasn't long before a high strung woman bounded in the room full of energy, cheer and smiles, enough to make Jessie sick to her stomach, literally.
"It's so nice I get to be the one to work with you, Jessie and Sam."
"What's this about?" she asked.
The woman gazed at her strangely. "Haven't you watched the show before?"
"Uh, a little of it," she replied, shooting Sam a look of worry.
"Oh, well this might be a little bit awkward then," the woman replied hesitantly.
Sam shrugged his shoulders, looking confused.
"Well, you see, we like to have a little fun with our couples. We want the TV world to see the couples having fun, being silly." Jessie and Sam traded apprehensive looks while she continued to speak. "So we have the couples sing a duet, just for fun."
"What?" Sam blurted out suddenly.
"It's just for a short spot. Nothing to worry about."
"Uh, Sam can't sing very well," Jessie said, shooting him an apologetic glance.
"That's okay, Jessie, he doesn't have to. That's the whole fun part of it."
"It doesn't sound like fun to me," he replied sourly.
The woman smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, but it's part of the show. And part of the contract you signed."
Jessie couldn't help but stifle a laugh at Sam's look of consternation.
"But there is good news," the woman said. "You get to choose the song you want to sing."
"How is that good news?" he asked.
The woman looked confused.
"It's okay, Sam," Jessie said, laying her hand on his supportively. "You'll do fine."
He rolled his eyes sarcastically, remembering he'd said those exact same words to her not very long before.
"It's okay. I have a song in mind," she replied.
He raised his eyebrow in suspicion, wondering what she had in mind.
"Okay, good. Give me a couple of minutes and we'll get started," the woman said. "I'll be right back."
Sam watched the woman leave, suddenly feeling anxious. He turned to glance at Jessie who was smiling mischieviously.
"Come on, Sammy. You aren't afraid, are you?" she teased.
"Of course not," he replied quickly. "But, uh—Dean is never gonna let me live this down."
She suddenly became serious. "I'm really torn, Sam." She stopped speaking, trying to stifle a giggle. "I don't know if I should laugh or not."
"Ha, ha," he laughed mockingly. "I see the support only runs one way, huh?"
She rolled her eyes heavily. "And here I thought Dean was the only drama king in your family."
"Yeah, and I thought he was the only smartass I know."
They looked at each other, pretending to be offended, before breaking out into laughter.
The woman came back into the room, looking at the couple strangely, they were still laughing.
"Are you both ready?" she asked.
They glanced at each other with a smile.
"Yeah," he said.
"What song have you chosen?"
"Need you now by Lady Antebellum," she replied, grinning at Sam.
"Excellent choice!" the woman replied excitedly. "It'll take a few minutes to set up and then we should be good to go."
While Sam had a lot of trepidation, he managed to get through the duet and have some fun doing it. He knew his brother was going to rib him for ages about it, but he didn't care, he had had fun.
The couple spent much of the remainder of the day together, until two hours before the show. Jessie already knew she'd made it to the next show, so she wasn't worried about that, she was only worried about her stage fright. She was quite sure she'd be fine, but not positive.
The show went fine, until she was asked about the song she'd chosen to sing the night before. Everyone was curious to know if it was intentional to chose a song by Kelly Clarkson, since she'd won the first American Idol, the one she'd been in. And while it had been part of the reason she'd chosen the song Stronger, it also held a great deal of meaning for her. She'd overcome a lot of hardships in her life and now she was moving on with her life.
She was happy with her performance that night. She'd chosen to sing; set fire to the rain by Adele, and she got a standing ovation. She wished she'd chosen another of her songs, one with more vocal range, but she was going to save that for the next night. She needed to continue to up herself if she was going to make it to the next night, without having to mess with the voting results. She didn't really want to do that if she could help it. As simple as she made it sound to Sam, it wasn't really. It would be difficult and time consumming, although not impossible.
When she was finished with the show, she headed straight back to her hotel room and fell asleep, before Sam had even made it back. He decided not to disturb her since she'd been so tired lately, not that he blamed her. Putting on an act for everyone during all hours of the day was becoming very tiresome. He hoped he'd never have to do something like this ever again.
The next morning, Jessie woke up before Sam, and was showered and dressed before he even crawled out of bed. He wasn't sure why she seemed to be in a good mood all of a sudden, but the twinkle in her eye told him she was beginning to enjoy the spotlight.
"It's nice to see you in such a good mood, Jessie," he said as he walked out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel around his waist.
"Mmmm, an even better mood now," she replied with a grin, eyeing him up and down.
He smiled. "We don't have time for that now."
"True," she said, smiling brighter. "But I can enjoy the view."
He walked closer, wrapping his arms around her, kissing her lightly. "You only have to ask."
She was captivated by him for a few moments, unable to respond.
"Do we have time to talk about something, Jess?" he asked with a serious look.
She sighed, pulling away slightly. "I guess that depends."
He dropped his arms from around her waist, taking one of her hands in his, led her to the bed, sat down and waited for her to sit beside him.
"I don't even know where to start," he said awkwardly, his eyes darting around nervously.
"The beginning usually works," she replied sarcastically.
He folded his hands, glancing down at them for a moment before looking up into her eyes. "I know this whole experience has been difficult and crazy, but I wanted you to know that, uh, playing your husband has been the best part."
She eyed him nervously. "What're you getting at, Sam?"
"What would you think of, uh—"
"Stop right there, Sam!" she interrupted, standing up. "We're not talking about this right now."
He stood up, grabbing one of her hands. "I love you, Jessie. Being alone like this, pretending we're married, it just feels right."
She glared at him, shaking her head. "I can't believe you're doing this to me, Sam."
"Doing what? Telling you how much I love you?"
"Yeah, Sam, that. This is not the time to discuss something like this," she said, pulling her hand from his. "We haven't even known each other very long."
"You're right, but why should that matter?"
"I swear to God, Sam, if you say our time could be up at any time, I will smack you!"
"It's true, isn't it? How many times have either one of us been close to death?"
She snorted. "And how many times have you actually died? What's your point?"
"Jessie, please. Can we at least talk about this calm and rationally?"
"No, Sam, we can't! I'm far beyond calm and rational at the moment!"
"Can we talk about this later?"
She glared at him, trying to calm herself. "I don't know, Sam."
He reached out, placing his hands on her arms. "I'm sorry, Jessie. I didn't mean to upset you."
She sighed. "I know you didn't mean to, but you did."
He brushed a few stray hairs from her face, tucking them behind her ear gently.
She closed her eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. When she opened her eyes, she leaned in close to Sam, laid her head against his chest, holding him tightly.
"Just promise me you won't mention this again until we're finished with this case," she said, then looked up at him. "Can you do that?"
"As long as you promise that we will talk about it."
She nodded her head reluctantly in agreement.
"Let's go eat breakfast," he suggested, kissing her on the forehead.
"Okay."
A/N: Wow, sorry I had to cut that short, that chapter was just way too long lol. So now that she's conquered her stage fright, she has another problem, Sam. Do you think she's right in overreacting? Or is it Sam that's overreacting?
Thanks for reading!