A Voice From the Past (conclusion
"Val we're leaving now," Hank called up the steps to his wife.
"OK," she called back. "Have fun."
"And be careful," Brooke added.
"We will honey," Nick replied.
With that the four guys filed out of the house and headed for Jamie's suv that sat against the curb.
"OK fellas, where to?" Jamie asked as he climbed behind the wheel.
"This is a bachelor party man, where do you think?" Hank retorted from the back seat.
"Fine then to the clubs we go," Jamie replied shifting into drive and pulling away from the curb
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"So when are you going to tell Jamie that you're still in love with him?" Val asked pointedly from the passenger's seat.
"I'm no-" Catie began, but she immediately closed her mouth. There was no point in arguing with Val at this point. "We're not going to talk about this now. We're going to go have some fun remember?"
Val sighed, defeated. "Fine."
Brooke's head appeared between the seats. "No offense guys but you're not too great at this whole bachelorette party thing."
Catie dropped her mouth in mock insult, "Alright, so let's forget all about the guys and go have some real fun."
With that she sped up concentrating on the road ahead of her
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1:00 AM.
Catie giggled to herself as she opened the door to Brooke's house and attempted to support both Van and Brooke all at once. "OK," Catie thought aloud, "Ummmm...... Val you sit on the couch and I'll try to take Brookie here upstairs."
Val laughed loudly as she made her way to the couch, bumping into everything that lay in her path. Catie kicked herself once again for letting them drink so much. Unfortunately it was too late now. Right now she had to get them both up the stairs.
Catie and brooke were just feet from the master bedroom when Brooke started to babble, "He really loves you, you know," She started, he words momentarily freezing Catie. "He always has."
Catie had now gotten her into bed and started to walk back down the stairs, dismissing Brooke's comments as drunken babble. Ten minutes later Val was safe in the other bedroom and sat alone in the dark living room. "It's going to be an interesting morning," she mused before falling into a peaceful sleep on the couch
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Jamie glanced at the clock before cutting the engine. 2:10 the green numbers glowed back at him in the darkness. He yawned and pushed open the door, walking out into the dark street. Hank followed soon after. He had stopped drinking midway through the night, and was sobered up by now. The two stood in the street, watching Tyler and Nick try to make their way up the walkway to the house.
"What do you say we give them a hand?" Hank asked, attempting to hold back his laughter.
"I'll get Tyler, you get your future brother-in-law," Jamie replied in agreement.
A he crossed the threshold into the house, he noticed slight movement coming from the living room, and took a few steps toward the couch to investigate before realizing that he still had Tyler in toe. Reluctantly he steered his intoxicated companion in the direction of the basement stairs.
Jamie successfully directed him down the stairs and laid him onto the couch. He was heading back to the stairs when Tyler's voice caught his attention again. "Do something Jamie, before you lose her again," he said simply.
With that, Jamie spun on his heal and went to question Tyler's statement, but he had already fallen into a deep sleep.
Still wondering what Tyler ad meant, Jamie headed up the stairs for a glass of water. Hank and Nick were long gone and the whole house was suprisingly silent. He absentmindedly opened the door to the refrigerator, sending a bright beam of light across floor and into the living room. It landed directly on Catie's face as she slept happily on the couch. The light made her look so angelic that Jamie just smiled at her for a moment before realizing that she had begun to stir. As quickly as possible, he closed the door, but it was too late.
"Jamie?" a groggy voice piped up, breaking the silence, "Is that you?"
"Uh, yeah," He replied quietly though the darkness to the doorway of the living room.
"Hey," She said, now more awake. She stared at him through the darkness, fishing for something to say. "So did you all have fun?" She finally asked, it was all that she could think of.
"Yeah I guess so," Jamie said half-heartedly. He began to slowly close the distance that separated them and eventually sat next to her on the couch.
An empty silence filled the room, and catie shifted uncomfortably, her mind frantically searching for something to say. 'This shouldn't be that difficult!' she yelled at herself subconsciously, 'just say something.'
Jamie stared down at the glass of water that rested in his hand. 'Just talk!' Jamie thought, 'You were her best friend, talking is something that you should be able to do.'
Suddenly, Jamie was suprised to hear his own voice fill the emptiness, "Catie, what happened to us?" The words were out in the open before Jamie could do anything to stop them and they hung stalely in the ai, waiting for a reply.
Catie sat shocked for a moment before forcing herself to answer his question, "Honestly I don't know. I guess I didn't want either of us to get hurt, and somehow it would be easier to leave for school if....... If we weren't so close."
She looked up into his eyes wearily and was met with so much hurt that she couldn't bear it. Her eyes shot back down to the carpet. "I guess it kinda backfired though," she finished quietly.
Jamie couldn't take it anymore, he stood up slowly and walked to the window. He stared out into the darkness of Kingsport. "Yeah it did," he said simply. When he finally turned back to face Catie, he saw a small tear sliding down her cheek in the darkness. His heart sank and he made his way back to the chair next to the couch.
"Just so you know..." he started, giving her a weak smile."Nevermind."
Catie's eyes met his, filled with curiosity. "What?" she asked softly.
"Nothing," he said tenderly."Why don't you try to get some more sleep, it's late?"
She held his gaze for a second longer, then nodded in agreement. A few minutes later, sweet dreams filled her head.
Jamie watched as Catie quietly drifted back into her dream world before he finished his previous statement. "I never stopped loving you," He whispered into the darkness. Then feeling suddenly his eyelids began to feel heavy and he slipped into a deep sleep.
-------------------------------The next day-----------------------------------------------
Catie opened her eyes to a beam of sunlight, signaling that morning had arrived. She stretched her arms into the air in an attempt to shake the sleepy thought from her mind.
"Good afternoon," A voice called from the kitchen making Catie's heart skip a beat. "Still not a morning person huh?
Catie turned to find Jamie standing in the kitchen shuffling around a few pans. She checked the watch that was fastened to her wrist. 11:43 it wasn't that late yet. "Technically it's still morning for another 17 minutes," she called back, wrapping herself up in the blanket that she'd slept in and heading for the table. "Besides if I remember correctly, you're the one who always slept through first period."
"What can i say?" He replied with a smirk. "I've become a morning person." He placed a plate of sizzling bacon and eggs in front of her. "Now could I persuade you to have some breakfast?"
Catie smiled, picking up a fork and digging in. The pair sat at the table for the better part of an hour, discussing their lives since their last meeting. Somehow the wall that had separated them the night before had melted away and their friendship had come back to them in full.
Eventually, all of their friends filed into the kitchen and joined the conversation and before any of them had realized, it was time to be at the church for the rehearsal
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Jamie sat in a pew near the back of the church, frantically writing in a notebook. He occasionally picked up his guitar to set a tune to whatever it was that he was writing. Suddenly, his attention was drawn to Victoria who was wildly running up and down the aisle. Jamie followed the little girl with his eyes until she ran up to him and stopped, silently staring at him. Jamie knelt down so that they were on the same level. "What's up kiddo?" he asked.
Victoria smiled coyly at the man in front of her. Jamie took the opportunity to pull the little girl up in his arms and began to tickle her ceaselessly.
Small laughter filled the church, forcing Catie to turn from the rehearsal to the back of the church, where her eyes settled on Jamie and Victoria. She stared in awe at his gentleness with the young girl in his arms for a moment, but then forced herself to concentrate what the pastor was saying.
Jamie looked up just in time to see Catie's short dark hair fly as she turned around. He returned Victoria to the ground and studied Catie's figure.
"What am I going to do?" Jamie asked himself silently. He looked down to see Victoria's dark eyes staring at him in questioning. He shook his head at her before leading her down the aisle toward his friends.
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Brooke and Catie rushed back to the church early the next morning to start getting ready. Val arrived soon after, Victoria still asleep in her arms.
"Well Brooke," She said once Victoria was laid carefully on a chair. "Two hours and counting."
Brooke just sighed weakly in response and went back to fixing her hair.
"You'll be fine kiddo," Catie said reassuringly.
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Meanwhile:
"Hank," Tyler called down the stairs. "How do you tie this stupid thing!?"
He made his way down the stairs to the his friends who were waiting in the living room. Hank was busy tying Jamie's bow tie, while Tyler waited patiently to get his done next. "You know all of you really should learn how to do this," Hank said chuckling to himself.
"Either that or get clip on's," Jamie joked once his tie was finished. He plopped down on the couch and started to strum harmonic chords on his guitar. He hummed a soft melody that fit perfectly to the notes that filled the room.
"It sounds good man," Tyler said, trying not to move, so Hank could finish tying.
"Thanks," Jamie said with a smile. "You know I never figured that I'd be playing my guitar in a tux!"
"Well," Nick said nervously looking at his watch. "I guess we'd better get to the church."
Jamie waited for a moment, holding his guitar case, watching the others walk out the door. Suddenly he grabbed his keys and headed across the lawn toward his suv parked where he'd left it the night before. "Guys," he called to his friends who were climbing into Nick's car. "I have to go get something, I'll meet you at the church."
"Don't be late!" Hank warned as Jamie climbed behind the wheel.
"This is perfect," Jamie said to himself as he headed down the road.
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"Where are they?" Val asked to no one in particular as she paced in the hallway in the back of the church. She stopped to look at her watch and then started pacing again.
Catie and Brooke stood back, following Val with their eyes. "I thought that it was the bride's job to worry," Brooke whispered.
"It's always your sister's job to worry," Catie replied. The two girls stood there attempting to hold back their laughter as Val rambled on about punctuality.
She was stopped only by Victoria's voice calling out, "Daddy!!!" She ran to the doorway where Hank now stood.
"Hey sweetheart, are you being good?" He asked gently lifting his daughter from the ground.
The little girl nodded her head and then leaned over to whisper, "Mommy was worried."
Hank smiled, putting his daughter down and walking over to his wife. Before she could say a word, he gave her a soft kiss and said, "Everything is going to be fine."
Suddenly Tyler's head appeared in the doorway. "Uh, Hank You might want to come out here."
"Why, What's up?" Hank asked cautiously.
"Nothing serious, just a little tie problem," Tyler reassured.
"Duty calls," Hank said simply before waking out the door. A few seconds later, he reappeared. "By the way, you all look beautiful," he added. with that he disappeared again.
"Hey Tyler,"Brooke started, "Where exactly is Jamie?"
"He said he had to get something," Tyler answered, but seeing the nervous expressions that covered all the girls' faced he added, "Don't worry he'll be here.
sure enough, Jamie waked through the doorway just as Tyler finished his sentence.
"Impeccable timing Jamie," Val said laughing. Jamie just stared at her with a look of confusion.
"What did you have to get?" Catie asked him curiously.
"Nothing important," he replied defensively.
Hank reappeared in the doorway once more, "The minister says that it's time to get going."
The whole wedding seemed to flash by and before anyone realized, the minister was telling Nick that he could kiss his bride. The whole happy group made their way to the reception hall where Jamie quickly set up his equipment.
"Hey everybody," he called into the microphone to get everyone's attention. "It's time for the bride and groom's first dance."
With that he picked up his guitar and started to sing:
You walked into my life
And time stood still
I don't know how
I ever lived without you
By my side .........
He locked his eyes with Catie's and didn't dare look away. The rest of the song seemed to just flow from his mouth without thought. It was over before he even knew it and applause filled the room. Jamie took a deep breath and walked back up to the microphone. "Thank you," he started. "Now if you don't mind, I just have one more thing that I have to do."
He took the Mic from the stand and walked over to Catie, "Something that I should have done five years ago..."
He pulled a small box from his pocket and dropped down to one knee, "Catie Roth I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"
Tears streamed down Catie's cheeks as she nodded her head at him. Jamie stood up and pulled her into a passionate kiss that was five years in the making. Loud applause filled the room, but neither Jamie or Catie even noticed.
THE END
Ok there you have it . it's all over. sorry for all the spelling mistakes,but it's late. hope you enjoyed it. thanx for waiting for the ending