Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. They belong to NBC. The lyrics belong to Geoff Moore & the Distance
If You Could See
Chapter Two: In the Eye of the Beholder
John waited anxiously on bended knee. The breeze blew through his hair as he looked up at Deb in the middle of the park. It had been a 'in the spur of the moment' things that he seemed to do a lot with Deb. Beautiful Deb.
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If beauty is all in the eye of the beholder Then I wish you could see, The love for you that lives in me.
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John knew it had taken the death of his Grams to realize he needed to make a change in his seemingly shallow life. He'd just finished ending the angst-ridden relationship with Abby two weeks before his Grams' death.
~flashback~
Even as sick as she was, Grams sat him down on her queen-sized bed and made him tell her the whole sordid mess.
"And then after being with me three months," John explained angrily, "she told me that we were going to fast." He ran his fingers through his wind-blown locks.
"Now John," Grams said soothingly, placing her hand on his. "Maybe she wasn't ready to be that picture perfect woman of your dreams."
"What are you talking about Grams?" he asked tucking his right leg underneath him.
"John, you've been talking about Abby for months now. Some days happily and other days you couldn't say her name without blowing up!" she explained tiredly. "It was easy to tell you were infatuated with her."
"I was not. I was in love with her," he said defensively.
"John," she sighed, her eyes weighing tiredly. "Do you think it should be this hard if it was real love?"
John didn't respond. He had watched his Grams fall fast asleep trying to figure out the answer.
It was infatuation…The words echoed in his head.
***
Staring at the lowering coffin, John stood there motionless.
"John," a voice called through the fog that darkened his thoughts. "John," it called again.
This time John was jerked back to reality. To his Grams plot. To her grave. R.I.P.
Rest in peace Grams.
A hand rested upon his shoulder. As John looked up, his gaze found rows of empty seats. Everyone had left. Everyone was gone.
"John," the voice called again, this time a little more firmly.
"He turned around to find Deb standing in front of him. At that moment, the rays of the sun were hitting her just right. She looked like an angel.
"Let's go home John," Deb whispered as she lead him to her car.
***
"So let's go out!" he exclaimed, leaning against Deb's locker door.
"John I'm not going out with you," she sighed, slipping her arm into her jacket sleeve.
"Why not?" he asked playfully.
"Because," she stated, apparently satisfied with that as a reason.
"Because," he laughed, "is not a reason."
"Yes it is."
"No," he shook his head. "No it's not. And you're not leaving till you give me a good reason, or you agree to go out with me."
John took her MEC utility briefcase-like bag. He watched as she rolled her dark eyes and folded her arms across her chest. "John, give me my bag."
As she reached for it John held it out of reach. "Not until you go out with me," he taunted, holding the bag above his head.
"Because…" she paused," Because you're not my type Carter." Deb reached for her bag, but he pulled it out of reach again.
"Plausible reason, but I think you still want to go out with me," he teased.
"Are you going to keep my bag until my answer is yes?" she growled.
He thought for a moment, and replied with a smirk. "Yes."
She prused her lips and narrowed her eyes. "Then yes," Deb sighed.
"What?" he asked, his hand cupped to his ear. "What did you say?"
"Yes." I said yes," she laughed. "I'll go out with you."
Deb rolled her eyes again and sighed exasperatedly.
Deb grabbed her bag, which he had lowered to hear what Deb had said, and headed towards the exit.
"I'll phone you with the details," he yelled.
***
"John it's over," she cried through her apartment door.
"What do you mean it's over?" he asked incredulously. "What happened?"
"It's just over," she yelled.
He kicked the apartment door and ran his hands through his hair. "Deb let me in."
John pressed his forehead against the door. "Deb, please."
They'd been going out for a couple of months and as he came to pick her up for a movie, John had found the door was locked and Deb wouldn't let him in.
"What's going on?" he yelled.
A neighboring door opened. "Hey, if you're gonna yell, then get the heck out of here," the grey-haired man in his bathrobe growled.
"I'm sorry," John groaned. John knocked on the door. "Can we please just talk about it?"
The neighbor pushed him aside and pounded on the door. "Either let him in or I'm kickin' his sorry butt out of the apartment!" he ranted.
John suddenly heard a click of the deadbolt and watched as his teary-eyed girlfriend poked her head out the door. "No Mr. Leiberman," she sniffled. "We'll stop yelling. Sorry," she apologized to the grumbling man who dismissed them with a wave.
John walked into the apartment, which had been his home for the most part of the past two weeks. "What's wrong Jing Mei? He only called her that when he knew she wanted to be taken seriously.
Deb stood at the kitchen counter staring out the window. "Nothing. I just…I just think we're wrong for each other. Not meant to be," she replied stonily.
He was baffled. "Are you in the same relationship I am? I thought we were great. I mean, I know we've had a couple of fights, but nothing to make me think that we should quit seeing each other." John paused to gather his thoughts. "I mean, we were going to the movies tonight and then out of nowhere we're through?"
Deb turned around and wiped the falling tears from her cheek. "I just don't think we're right for each other. I've seen the way you've been with Abby and I know that you're just using me to get over her," she said calmly. "I thought I could fool myself into believing that I could make you forget her, but I know I can't."
His stomach lurched at the accusation. All right, at first it might have been to find some stability and comfort. But in the passing weeks that he'd come to know her…love her. John was falling for the dark-haired, intelligent, feisty woman.
John walked over to the crumbling Deb. He wrapped his arms around her. "Deb," he whispered softly. " Abby and I are over."
"It didn't look like that today in the lounge, when she kissed you," Deb spat as she pushed him away.
"Deb," he paused. "I'm falling in love with you. Not Abby."
Deb stopped in her tracks and slowly turned to look at the silent John.
He couldn't believe he'd just said that. But John knew that it was true.
"John?" Deb gasped.
"It's the truth Deb." John walked over to her again and wrapped her tightly in his arms. "And I don't want to stop this feeling I have right now. I'm falling in love with you Jing Mei Chen. How could I help but not fall in love with a beautiful and smart woman like you?"
"Stop John," Deb whispered.
John smiled at her.
"I must look horrid," she choked out, wiping the tears from her eyes. Deb tried to pull away from him, but he held her tightly.
"No," John replied.
He lifted her chin up to meet his gaze. "You look beautiful to me," he whispered as he gently placed a kiss on her tear-stained lips.
What do you think? I hope you guys like it. I know I seem to be on a kick with lyrics…but I just love this song!