Chapter Twenty-Three
(Following Morning)
Mimi and Jason had sneaked back into the beach house early before the rest of the house had woken up. They had even taken a brief nap in their room, before they heard Rory making noise downstairs. Josh and Mariana had been a part of her plan, but she had left Rory and Nick completely in the dark for a good reason.
They went downstairs together and joined Rory and Nick around the breakfast table, both of them pouring themselves bowls of cereal and digging in hungrily. Rory grabbed a banana off the table and began slicing it in to her cereal as she watched her friends suspiciously.
"So... You two came home late last night. Where were you?"
Jason's face turned ashen as he tried to come up with something. "We were out."
Rory rolled her eyes and continued her interrogation. "Out where?"
Mimi glared at her intently. "Just out, Rory. Let's leave it at that."
"Oh, no you don't. Tell me what the big secret is."
Nick leaned over the table and put his hand on Rory's arm. "Rory, baby... If they don't want to tell you, they don't have to."
Rory whipped her head around and stared at Nick angrily. "Yes. They DO."
"No, they don't. What Mimi and Jason do is, despite your belief to the contrary, none of your business."
Rory huffed loudly and turned away from him. She began digging into her cereal bowl, all the while a scowl plastered on her face. They ate in silence, but Rory kept her eyes trained on Mimi the entire time. Rory knew that they were hiding something, but she hadn't figured out what it was yet.
She shifted her eyes to the right and watched as Jason kept his gaze lovingly locked on his girlfriend. Rory watched as he stood from the table and put his hand on Mimi's shoulder. "I'm going to the kitchen... Do you want some juice?"
Mimi looked up from her bowl and nodded. "Yes, please..."
Jason gave her a quick kiss on the lips and walked into the kitchen. Nick was fairly oblivious to Rory's determined investigation, and really paid no attention to any of this. Rory continued watching as Jason returned with a glass of orange juice and placed it in front of Mimi. He leaned over and kissed her again before returning to his seat.
Mimi smiled shyly and winked at him, her cheeks turning slightly pink when she looked at him. "Thanks, Jase..."
Rory had a light bulb go off in her head. No, it didn't just go off, it exploded into a thousand pieces, causing her brown eyes to widen. Her spoon clattered to the nearly empty bowl in front of her and she smacked both hands on the table as she glared at Mimi with a grin.
"YOU HAD SEX!"
Mimi put her hand over her mouth and choked on her orange juice. She finally swallowed it and shook her head. "No... No, we didn't... We did not."
Jason's spoon froze in mid-air, his green eyes as wide as the bowls on the table. Rory cackled and pointed at him. "YOU DID TOO! YOU TWO HAD SEX!"
Nick sighed softly and put his hand back on her arm. "You don't need to shout it..."
Rory leaned back in her chair and threw her hands up with a laugh. "Oh my... I should have figured it out last night. You two finally got it on. It's about damn time..."
Mimi was still shaking her head, but Rory waved her hand and continued. "Don't deny it. I can tell."
Nick shrugged and smiled at his two friends. "Well, congratulations, I guess..."
"So... Why didn't you want to tell me?"
Mimi laughed at her and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Because I knew you'd act like this. I was going to tell you eventually, but I didn't want you to know beforehand or... right away."
Jason nodded in agreement and looked at Rory. "She's right. I'm glad she didn't say anything yesterday. You're a freak, Rory... And now that you know where we were last night, I know you're never going to shut up about it."
Rory glared at him defensively. "That's NOT true."
Nick wrapped his arm around her shoulder and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "It *is* true, but that's why I love you. Because you're insane."
"Awwww... I'm so glad I found someone who loves me because of my insanity and not in spite of it."
Mimi chuckled and took another sip of juice. "We are too. Nick keeps you... well, I hesitate to say normal, but it's the closest to it that you're ever going to get."
Rory smiled happily and pushed her bowl aside. "Thanks, Meems... I think that was almost a compliment."
"Almost."
Mimi pushed her bowl aside and stood from the table. "I -- I'm gonna go outside and talk to Mariana. I'll be back in a little bit."
Rory grinned at her and waved her off. "See you later you non-virgin!"
Mimi rolled her eyes and walked out to the back patio. Nick and Jason looked at Rory with frowns because of her less-than-funny goodbye message to Mimi. Rory shrugged and stuck her tongue out at them.
"It's the best I could do on short notice, OKAY? If I had a little bit of warning about your shagfest last night, I would have come up with something funnier."
Rory started gathering her plates and headed into the kitchen, as Jason and Nick watched her. Outside, Mariana was standing at the porch railing next to Josh, drinking her morning coffee. Mimi came up to them and gave brief hugs of appreciation to both of them.
"Thank you both... SO SO SO much for everything you did to help me last night."
Mariana smiled happily and winked at her. "So, I trust everything went exactly as planned?"
Mimi nodded and grinned at her. "Exactly, but even BETTER."
Josh sighed softly. "You're welcome, Mimi. But, since this does involve my little brother, I don't want all the gory details."
Mariana grinned and put her hand on Mimi's arm. "But, I do. So, catch up to me later and we'll have a little girl talk."
Mimi laughed and nodded in understanding. "You and Rory both... We'll have to have some chick time later, I'm sure. So... You two seem to just love this back porch, don't you?"
Josh smiled and put his good arm on the railing as he looked out into the ocean. "Well, it is the perfect choice for those of us who are of the 'cast-wearing-can't-go-swimming' type."
Mariana nodded and kissed Josh on the cheek. "Or their fiancées. Whoa... fiancée... That's the first time I've said that out loud."
Mimi smiled and looked at her questioningly. "So, have you told your parents yet, Mar?"
"Not yet. But, after you guys leave tomorrow, we're going to go and tell them. They'll be thrilled. They absolutely adore Josh."
Jason joined them on the patio and laid his hand on Mimi's shoulder. "Everybody adores Josh... Everybody but me, of course."
Josh laughed and turned to scowl at his brother. "Thanks, bro. I love you too."
Jason wrapped his arms around Mimi's waist and extended an invitation. "Want to go for a walk?"
Mimi nodded and he unwrapped his arms so they could walk towards the steps leading down to the beach. Rory and Nick stood in the doorway and Rory shouted loudly after them. "Geez, Jase... Couldn't get enough of her last night?"
Mimi and Jason turned and shouted in unison at her. "SHUT UP!"
They continued their walk and Nick smiled proudly at Rory. "See... That was much funnier. Good job."
Mimi and Jason continued down the beach, her hand wrapped tightly in his. They walked near the shore until Mimi stopped and stared out into the water. The waves were fairly calm this morning, crashing quietly against the shore with a sound that could soothe even the most weary soul.
She sighed softly and looked into the green eyes that were watching her intently. "Jason... Can you even believe that this is our life?"
"I'm -- I'm not sure what you mean."
"I never ever imagined that I could have everything that I have now."
Jason smiled and kissed her forehead. "You mean, you never imagined that you'd fall in love with ME?"
Mimi smiled back at him and shook her head. "No -- no. It's not just that. But, less than a year ago, I would have never believed that this could happen to me. I'm in love with a guy who was made just for me. And, I -- I'm definitely not the same Mimi I used to be. I mean, deep down, yes... But, I don't feel weak or unimportant or ugly or unworthy anymore. I have everything I want, and surprisingly... I feel like I deserve it."
"That's because you do."
Mimi spun around on her heel and put her hands on his chest. "And so do you. I mean... You've come so far in less than a year, Jason. You really have changed... Are you -- are you as happy as I am?"
Jason ran his fingers through her hair, admiring it as the sun shone through her highlights. "I am happy. I have you, and that's all I need."
"Really? What about -- What about your parents?"
"Mimi... Don't. Don't bring it up."
Mimi bowed her head and frowned slightly. "I'm sorry. But, they are your parents. And every kid wants their parents to love them, and..."
Jason put his fingers in front of her lips to stop her, knowing that she would ramble on for an hour if he didn't. "You're right. I do want my parents to love me. And, I want them to love you too. But that may never happen... And, I'm okay with that. Living with them for eighteen years never made me happy. But, being with you, having the friends in my life that I have and having my brother around... THAT is what makes me happy."
"Oh. Well. Okay then... I just worry. Especially after telling them off the other day."
"You worry too much, Meems."
Mimi grinned and nodded in agreement. "I know... But, I can't rid myself of ALL of my bad qualities in just one year. Some will have to wait for next year."
Jason laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him. "Don't you dare change a thing, Mimi Lockhart. I happen to love you just as you are."
"I love you too... Wait a second... Did you just quote me a Billy Joel song?"
"No. That's 'just the way you are'."
Mimi giggled and gave him a brief kiss. "Rory would be so proud. Her unhealthy Billy Joel obsession has rubbed off on you."
Jason cringed slightly and shook his head. "Let's hope that's the only thing about Rory that rubs off on me. I love her, but I don't want to be her."
Mimi wrapped her hands around his neck and gave him a deep kiss. They had come so far, been through so much, and they had done it together. And, even with the small worries that sometimes sat in the back of her brain, she knew they would get through it all side by side.
Their kisses continued until they Jason felt a clump of sand hit the side of his head, shooting grains of sand over both of them. They jumped back and saw Rory grinning evilly at them, as Nick stood nearby shaking his head with shame.
Mimi shook the sand out of her hair and growled at Rory. "Geez, Rory... What the hell did you do that for?"
"I wanted to prevent you two shagbunnies from getting horizontal on the beach. Now that you've done it once, it's all you'll ever want to do. And this is not a safe place for bumping uglies."
Jason looked at her in disgusted shock. "Bumping uglies? Wow... You make it sound so romantic. Man, Nick, your days and nights must be filled with a magical sort of love."
Nick laughed with a snort and shook his head. "I wouldn't exactly say that."
Mimi looked at Rory curiously. "What do you mean the beach isn't a safe place for... well, you know...?"
Rory sighed and gave her an exasperated look. "Because of the sand. It gets... well, it gets everywhere, and it's not good. Trust me."
"Trust you? Uhmmmmm... Nick?"
Nick's cheeks flushed red and he looked towards his feet. "Uhm, yeah. Pretty much everywhere."
Mimi wrinkled her nose up in disgust and took a step backwards. "Well, you weren't interrupting THAT anyway... In fact, I think we just wanted to take a swim... That's all."
Rory winked at her and nodded. "Oh good. Us too."
She took off like a bolt of lightning running into the water and Mimi happily followed her. Jason looked at Nick curiously as they watched the two girls splashing about in the water, planning to join them in just a moment.
"How do you put up with Rory like you do?"
Nick smiled at him confidently. "It's easy when you love someone."
Jason nodded and he began wading into the water. "Everything is easy when you love someone."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Yes, it was short. Sorry. Yes, it wasn't really that good of a chapter. Sorry. But, I needed a transitional chapter to bring us into the last few chapters of the fic. (Did I say last few chapters? Calm down. Yes, I did.)
(Following Morning)
Mimi and Jason had sneaked back into the beach house early before the rest of the house had woken up. They had even taken a brief nap in their room, before they heard Rory making noise downstairs. Josh and Mariana had been a part of her plan, but she had left Rory and Nick completely in the dark for a good reason.
They went downstairs together and joined Rory and Nick around the breakfast table, both of them pouring themselves bowls of cereal and digging in hungrily. Rory grabbed a banana off the table and began slicing it in to her cereal as she watched her friends suspiciously.
"So... You two came home late last night. Where were you?"
Jason's face turned ashen as he tried to come up with something. "We were out."
Rory rolled her eyes and continued her interrogation. "Out where?"
Mimi glared at her intently. "Just out, Rory. Let's leave it at that."
"Oh, no you don't. Tell me what the big secret is."
Nick leaned over the table and put his hand on Rory's arm. "Rory, baby... If they don't want to tell you, they don't have to."
Rory whipped her head around and stared at Nick angrily. "Yes. They DO."
"No, they don't. What Mimi and Jason do is, despite your belief to the contrary, none of your business."
Rory huffed loudly and turned away from him. She began digging into her cereal bowl, all the while a scowl plastered on her face. They ate in silence, but Rory kept her eyes trained on Mimi the entire time. Rory knew that they were hiding something, but she hadn't figured out what it was yet.
She shifted her eyes to the right and watched as Jason kept his gaze lovingly locked on his girlfriend. Rory watched as he stood from the table and put his hand on Mimi's shoulder. "I'm going to the kitchen... Do you want some juice?"
Mimi looked up from her bowl and nodded. "Yes, please..."
Jason gave her a quick kiss on the lips and walked into the kitchen. Nick was fairly oblivious to Rory's determined investigation, and really paid no attention to any of this. Rory continued watching as Jason returned with a glass of orange juice and placed it in front of Mimi. He leaned over and kissed her again before returning to his seat.
Mimi smiled shyly and winked at him, her cheeks turning slightly pink when she looked at him. "Thanks, Jase..."
Rory had a light bulb go off in her head. No, it didn't just go off, it exploded into a thousand pieces, causing her brown eyes to widen. Her spoon clattered to the nearly empty bowl in front of her and she smacked both hands on the table as she glared at Mimi with a grin.
"YOU HAD SEX!"
Mimi put her hand over her mouth and choked on her orange juice. She finally swallowed it and shook her head. "No... No, we didn't... We did not."
Jason's spoon froze in mid-air, his green eyes as wide as the bowls on the table. Rory cackled and pointed at him. "YOU DID TOO! YOU TWO HAD SEX!"
Nick sighed softly and put his hand back on her arm. "You don't need to shout it..."
Rory leaned back in her chair and threw her hands up with a laugh. "Oh my... I should have figured it out last night. You two finally got it on. It's about damn time..."
Mimi was still shaking her head, but Rory waved her hand and continued. "Don't deny it. I can tell."
Nick shrugged and smiled at his two friends. "Well, congratulations, I guess..."
"So... Why didn't you want to tell me?"
Mimi laughed at her and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Because I knew you'd act like this. I was going to tell you eventually, but I didn't want you to know beforehand or... right away."
Jason nodded in agreement and looked at Rory. "She's right. I'm glad she didn't say anything yesterday. You're a freak, Rory... And now that you know where we were last night, I know you're never going to shut up about it."
Rory glared at him defensively. "That's NOT true."
Nick wrapped his arm around her shoulder and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "It *is* true, but that's why I love you. Because you're insane."
"Awwww... I'm so glad I found someone who loves me because of my insanity and not in spite of it."
Mimi chuckled and took another sip of juice. "We are too. Nick keeps you... well, I hesitate to say normal, but it's the closest to it that you're ever going to get."
Rory smiled happily and pushed her bowl aside. "Thanks, Meems... I think that was almost a compliment."
"Almost."
Mimi pushed her bowl aside and stood from the table. "I -- I'm gonna go outside and talk to Mariana. I'll be back in a little bit."
Rory grinned at her and waved her off. "See you later you non-virgin!"
Mimi rolled her eyes and walked out to the back patio. Nick and Jason looked at Rory with frowns because of her less-than-funny goodbye message to Mimi. Rory shrugged and stuck her tongue out at them.
"It's the best I could do on short notice, OKAY? If I had a little bit of warning about your shagfest last night, I would have come up with something funnier."
Rory started gathering her plates and headed into the kitchen, as Jason and Nick watched her. Outside, Mariana was standing at the porch railing next to Josh, drinking her morning coffee. Mimi came up to them and gave brief hugs of appreciation to both of them.
"Thank you both... SO SO SO much for everything you did to help me last night."
Mariana smiled happily and winked at her. "So, I trust everything went exactly as planned?"
Mimi nodded and grinned at her. "Exactly, but even BETTER."
Josh sighed softly. "You're welcome, Mimi. But, since this does involve my little brother, I don't want all the gory details."
Mariana grinned and put her hand on Mimi's arm. "But, I do. So, catch up to me later and we'll have a little girl talk."
Mimi laughed and nodded in understanding. "You and Rory both... We'll have to have some chick time later, I'm sure. So... You two seem to just love this back porch, don't you?"
Josh smiled and put his good arm on the railing as he looked out into the ocean. "Well, it is the perfect choice for those of us who are of the 'cast-wearing-can't-go-swimming' type."
Mariana nodded and kissed Josh on the cheek. "Or their fiancées. Whoa... fiancée... That's the first time I've said that out loud."
Mimi smiled and looked at her questioningly. "So, have you told your parents yet, Mar?"
"Not yet. But, after you guys leave tomorrow, we're going to go and tell them. They'll be thrilled. They absolutely adore Josh."
Jason joined them on the patio and laid his hand on Mimi's shoulder. "Everybody adores Josh... Everybody but me, of course."
Josh laughed and turned to scowl at his brother. "Thanks, bro. I love you too."
Jason wrapped his arms around Mimi's waist and extended an invitation. "Want to go for a walk?"
Mimi nodded and he unwrapped his arms so they could walk towards the steps leading down to the beach. Rory and Nick stood in the doorway and Rory shouted loudly after them. "Geez, Jase... Couldn't get enough of her last night?"
Mimi and Jason turned and shouted in unison at her. "SHUT UP!"
They continued their walk and Nick smiled proudly at Rory. "See... That was much funnier. Good job."
Mimi and Jason continued down the beach, her hand wrapped tightly in his. They walked near the shore until Mimi stopped and stared out into the water. The waves were fairly calm this morning, crashing quietly against the shore with a sound that could soothe even the most weary soul.
She sighed softly and looked into the green eyes that were watching her intently. "Jason... Can you even believe that this is our life?"
"I'm -- I'm not sure what you mean."
"I never ever imagined that I could have everything that I have now."
Jason smiled and kissed her forehead. "You mean, you never imagined that you'd fall in love with ME?"
Mimi smiled back at him and shook her head. "No -- no. It's not just that. But, less than a year ago, I would have never believed that this could happen to me. I'm in love with a guy who was made just for me. And, I -- I'm definitely not the same Mimi I used to be. I mean, deep down, yes... But, I don't feel weak or unimportant or ugly or unworthy anymore. I have everything I want, and surprisingly... I feel like I deserve it."
"That's because you do."
Mimi spun around on her heel and put her hands on his chest. "And so do you. I mean... You've come so far in less than a year, Jason. You really have changed... Are you -- are you as happy as I am?"
Jason ran his fingers through her hair, admiring it as the sun shone through her highlights. "I am happy. I have you, and that's all I need."
"Really? What about -- What about your parents?"
"Mimi... Don't. Don't bring it up."
Mimi bowed her head and frowned slightly. "I'm sorry. But, they are your parents. And every kid wants their parents to love them, and..."
Jason put his fingers in front of her lips to stop her, knowing that she would ramble on for an hour if he didn't. "You're right. I do want my parents to love me. And, I want them to love you too. But that may never happen... And, I'm okay with that. Living with them for eighteen years never made me happy. But, being with you, having the friends in my life that I have and having my brother around... THAT is what makes me happy."
"Oh. Well. Okay then... I just worry. Especially after telling them off the other day."
"You worry too much, Meems."
Mimi grinned and nodded in agreement. "I know... But, I can't rid myself of ALL of my bad qualities in just one year. Some will have to wait for next year."
Jason laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him. "Don't you dare change a thing, Mimi Lockhart. I happen to love you just as you are."
"I love you too... Wait a second... Did you just quote me a Billy Joel song?"
"No. That's 'just the way you are'."
Mimi giggled and gave him a brief kiss. "Rory would be so proud. Her unhealthy Billy Joel obsession has rubbed off on you."
Jason cringed slightly and shook his head. "Let's hope that's the only thing about Rory that rubs off on me. I love her, but I don't want to be her."
Mimi wrapped her hands around his neck and gave him a deep kiss. They had come so far, been through so much, and they had done it together. And, even with the small worries that sometimes sat in the back of her brain, she knew they would get through it all side by side.
Their kisses continued until they Jason felt a clump of sand hit the side of his head, shooting grains of sand over both of them. They jumped back and saw Rory grinning evilly at them, as Nick stood nearby shaking his head with shame.
Mimi shook the sand out of her hair and growled at Rory. "Geez, Rory... What the hell did you do that for?"
"I wanted to prevent you two shagbunnies from getting horizontal on the beach. Now that you've done it once, it's all you'll ever want to do. And this is not a safe place for bumping uglies."
Jason looked at her in disgusted shock. "Bumping uglies? Wow... You make it sound so romantic. Man, Nick, your days and nights must be filled with a magical sort of love."
Nick laughed with a snort and shook his head. "I wouldn't exactly say that."
Mimi looked at Rory curiously. "What do you mean the beach isn't a safe place for... well, you know...?"
Rory sighed and gave her an exasperated look. "Because of the sand. It gets... well, it gets everywhere, and it's not good. Trust me."
"Trust you? Uhmmmmm... Nick?"
Nick's cheeks flushed red and he looked towards his feet. "Uhm, yeah. Pretty much everywhere."
Mimi wrinkled her nose up in disgust and took a step backwards. "Well, you weren't interrupting THAT anyway... In fact, I think we just wanted to take a swim... That's all."
Rory winked at her and nodded. "Oh good. Us too."
She took off like a bolt of lightning running into the water and Mimi happily followed her. Jason looked at Nick curiously as they watched the two girls splashing about in the water, planning to join them in just a moment.
"How do you put up with Rory like you do?"
Nick smiled at him confidently. "It's easy when you love someone."
Jason nodded and he began wading into the water. "Everything is easy when you love someone."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Yes, it was short. Sorry. Yes, it wasn't really that good of a chapter. Sorry. But, I needed a transitional chapter to bring us into the last few chapters of the fic. (Did I say last few chapters? Calm down. Yes, I did.)