Learning to Live Again: 5/?
by Emilie Eden
Disclaimer/Notes: As usual, see part one. This part is on the short side (although, most of my fics are...) but the next part should be longer. Hopefully, it will explain everything...
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Val's mouth formed an 'O' in surprise, before letting out a breath. "Wow."
"Yeah...yeah, I figured you would be surprised." Caitie gave Val a small smile.
"No...well, yeah...well..." Val blinked a few times. "She looks like you."
"Really? I always thought she looked more like Jamie," Caitie replied. "She has his eyes."
Val hugged Caitie for a minute, before pulling back. "You've done a great job. I'm so proud of you, Caitie." Val sighed and leaned back against the couch. "I wish I could be like you."
Caitie laughed and shook her head. "I have a two year old daughter with my best friend, ok? I'm not even married. You have no idea how bad that looks to other people. Plus, I'm a lawyer, with a lot of snotty, rich people for clients and I hardly get to stay home..." She let out a sigh. "You know what's weird though?"
"What's that?" Val looked up at Caitie.
"I don't think I'd change anything." Caitie thought for a minute. "Well, the snotty clients, maybe. Oh, and the fact that I'm hardly ever home, yeah, definitely." She then smiled. "But having Alexia is the best thing that's happened to me. Ever. I'm really lucky to have Jamie to help with everything..."
Val brushed her hair out of her eyes. "How did that happen? You and Jamie, I mean."
"Me and Jamie..." Caitie let out a sigh. "I don't even know where to begin."
"The beginning, maybe?" Val suggested with a smile.
"It's a long story," Caitie warned her. "I'm not just talking long here, either. I'm talking long, long, LONG story."
Val made herself comfortable on the couch. "I have time."
The two best friends stayed up talking for hours, much to Jamie's dislike. He was laying on one of the couches, his head buried into his pillow in an attempt to drown out the gabbing and giggling. Deciding he couldn't take anymore, he sat up and glared at them.
"I give up! I'm going to Lexi's room!" He grabbed his pillow and blanket, stalking out of the living room and down the hall.
Val looked at Caitie. "Was it something we did?" She asked innocently, trying to hide her smile.
"Poor James." Caitie shook her head. "You almost feel sorry for him."
"Almost," Val agreed.
Caitie glanced at her watch and groaned. "Did you know it's after three?" Caitie let out a half sigh, half yawn. "I have to make an appearance at the office tomorrow."
"Oh, do you have to work?" Val asked, a guilty look on her face. "I didn't mean to keep you up."
"No, it's okay, really." Caitie brushed her hair out of her eyes. "No appointments, I just need to look over some case files."
"Well, I think I'll go to bed," Val replied. "You get some sleep, ok?"
"Yeah, I'm heading that way, too." Caitie stood up, as did Val, and they hugged. "I'm glad you're home."
"So am I," Val smiled. "Good night."
"Night."
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Jamie shot up off the floor when he heard a scream. For a minute he thought it was Lexi, until he remembered he was in her room. He glanced over and saw that she was still sleeping soundly. Jamie sat there for a moment, wondering if he had imagined the whole thing, until he heard another scream.
He jumped up and ran out of the room. "Caitie?" He called, opening her bedroom door. She too was still asleep, which was no real surprise to him. She had always been a deep sleeper. "If it's not Lexi or Caitie then...Val. Val!" He ran down to the guest room and threw open the door.
Val was still in bed asleep, but was thrashing around wildly, evidently having a nightmare. She was screaming and crying and, although he couldn't make out half of what she was saying, he had a good idea as to what she was dreaming about.
Jamie went over to the bed and sat down beside her, trying to hold her still. "Val...Val! Val, wake up!" He tried to shake her awake, but she continued screaming.
"NO! IT'S ALL MY FAULT!" Val cried, her nails digging into Jamie's arm, her trashing continuing. "I KILLED HER!"
Jamie attempted to hold Val down so that she couldn't hurt herself. "VAL, WAKE UP!"
"BROOKE!" Val's eyes shot open and she looked around wildly.
"You're okay," Jamie whispered, brushing her hair out of her face.
Val tried to catch her breath. "What happened?"
"You were having a nightmare," he replied.
"Brooke..." She whispered, tears streaming down her face. "I thought...I thought it was over...but I come back to Kingsport and it starts again..."
Jamie put her arms around her as she sobbed into his shoulder. "It was just a bad dream."
"But it wasn't." Val pulled away from Jamie and hugged her pillow, gently rocking back and forth. "It's my fault she's gone. I killed my sister."
by Emilie Eden
Disclaimer/Notes: As usual, see part one. This part is on the short side (although, most of my fics are...) but the next part should be longer. Hopefully, it will explain everything...
----------
Val's mouth formed an 'O' in surprise, before letting out a breath. "Wow."
"Yeah...yeah, I figured you would be surprised." Caitie gave Val a small smile.
"No...well, yeah...well..." Val blinked a few times. "She looks like you."
"Really? I always thought she looked more like Jamie," Caitie replied. "She has his eyes."
Val hugged Caitie for a minute, before pulling back. "You've done a great job. I'm so proud of you, Caitie." Val sighed and leaned back against the couch. "I wish I could be like you."
Caitie laughed and shook her head. "I have a two year old daughter with my best friend, ok? I'm not even married. You have no idea how bad that looks to other people. Plus, I'm a lawyer, with a lot of snotty, rich people for clients and I hardly get to stay home..." She let out a sigh. "You know what's weird though?"
"What's that?" Val looked up at Caitie.
"I don't think I'd change anything." Caitie thought for a minute. "Well, the snotty clients, maybe. Oh, and the fact that I'm hardly ever home, yeah, definitely." She then smiled. "But having Alexia is the best thing that's happened to me. Ever. I'm really lucky to have Jamie to help with everything..."
Val brushed her hair out of her eyes. "How did that happen? You and Jamie, I mean."
"Me and Jamie..." Caitie let out a sigh. "I don't even know where to begin."
"The beginning, maybe?" Val suggested with a smile.
"It's a long story," Caitie warned her. "I'm not just talking long here, either. I'm talking long, long, LONG story."
Val made herself comfortable on the couch. "I have time."
The two best friends stayed up talking for hours, much to Jamie's dislike. He was laying on one of the couches, his head buried into his pillow in an attempt to drown out the gabbing and giggling. Deciding he couldn't take anymore, he sat up and glared at them.
"I give up! I'm going to Lexi's room!" He grabbed his pillow and blanket, stalking out of the living room and down the hall.
Val looked at Caitie. "Was it something we did?" She asked innocently, trying to hide her smile.
"Poor James." Caitie shook her head. "You almost feel sorry for him."
"Almost," Val agreed.
Caitie glanced at her watch and groaned. "Did you know it's after three?" Caitie let out a half sigh, half yawn. "I have to make an appearance at the office tomorrow."
"Oh, do you have to work?" Val asked, a guilty look on her face. "I didn't mean to keep you up."
"No, it's okay, really." Caitie brushed her hair out of her eyes. "No appointments, I just need to look over some case files."
"Well, I think I'll go to bed," Val replied. "You get some sleep, ok?"
"Yeah, I'm heading that way, too." Caitie stood up, as did Val, and they hugged. "I'm glad you're home."
"So am I," Val smiled. "Good night."
"Night."
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Jamie shot up off the floor when he heard a scream. For a minute he thought it was Lexi, until he remembered he was in her room. He glanced over and saw that she was still sleeping soundly. Jamie sat there for a moment, wondering if he had imagined the whole thing, until he heard another scream.
He jumped up and ran out of the room. "Caitie?" He called, opening her bedroom door. She too was still asleep, which was no real surprise to him. She had always been a deep sleeper. "If it's not Lexi or Caitie then...Val. Val!" He ran down to the guest room and threw open the door.
Val was still in bed asleep, but was thrashing around wildly, evidently having a nightmare. She was screaming and crying and, although he couldn't make out half of what she was saying, he had a good idea as to what she was dreaming about.
Jamie went over to the bed and sat down beside her, trying to hold her still. "Val...Val! Val, wake up!" He tried to shake her awake, but she continued screaming.
"NO! IT'S ALL MY FAULT!" Val cried, her nails digging into Jamie's arm, her trashing continuing. "I KILLED HER!"
Jamie attempted to hold Val down so that she couldn't hurt herself. "VAL, WAKE UP!"
"BROOKE!" Val's eyes shot open and she looked around wildly.
"You're okay," Jamie whispered, brushing her hair out of her face.
Val tried to catch her breath. "What happened?"
"You were having a nightmare," he replied.
"Brooke..." She whispered, tears streaming down her face. "I thought...I thought it was over...but I come back to Kingsport and it starts again..."
Jamie put her arms around her as she sobbed into his shoulder. "It was just a bad dream."
"But it wasn't." Val pulled away from Jamie and hugged her pillow, gently rocking back and forth. "It's my fault she's gone. I killed my sister."