Disclaimer: I don't own anyone from Once & Again.
Author: Grace
Feedback: Philosophy897@aol.com
Rating: PG-13
A/N: I know it's been awhile since the last chapter but I take my time to
make sure I like the way the chapters go. Please give feedback. For those
of you who have seen the show or previews for WB's new series Everwood the
name and location of the town in this story are the same. I loved the town
on TV so I decided to put it in my story, this does not mean that any of
the characters from the show will be included in my story. This is not a
crossover. Katie and her family lived in Everwood then moved, after Katie
left for college they moved back.
POV(Point of View): Katie's
*** Snow capped mountains had popped up around me, or so it seemed, by the time I awoke. I took in a deep breath then slowly let it out, watching it crystalize before me. Pulling my thicky insulated, brown leather jacket closer I glanced out the window. The train chugged through a thick cover of snow that blanketed the land at this time of year. We made a path towards Denver, Colorado, slicing through the gorgeously barren fields of the Colorado countryside. Black trees constantly loomed over the horizon, it would look beautiful to anyone else but to me it seemed to be some kind of foreshadowing, some kind of omen. But then again I've always been a bit paranoid. A rustling sound echoed throughout the car above the dull constant sound of chatter, the porter must be coming, I reasoned. The thought just didn't seem to register to me, I pushed it out of my already full mind. There were after all a lot of things to think about. I was heading home, back to Everwood. I don't know why that thought scared me so much but it did all the same. Home hadn't always been a good thing to me. But then again a person's past is hardly ever filled with good things, right? I sighed heavily and reached a hand up, brushing the hair our of my face. How long had it been since I'd seen those mountains? Too long. How long since I'd actually come home? Years... Why was I going home now? To tell them about the marriage, I reasoned. "Miss? Miss can I help you," asked the porter in a friendly tone, I didn't even notice her. "Miss? Miss," she called again. I felt a small weight lift off my shoulders and thought for a moment maybe I was relaxing but then I heard a yawn and knew I hadn't. Jessie had just woken up and she'd gotten off my shoulder. Apparently she heard the porter because I few moments later she said something. After she'd received what she'd ordered Jess turned and looked at me for a moment before speaking softly. I just looked out of the window, watching some snow start to slowly fall. The white flakes galloping quickly down to the ground. "Kat...what's wrong baby," she asked, part of me heard her but yet again I pushed it out of my mind. She reached over and placed a hand on my shoulder before speaking again, "Kathryn Singer you had best tell me what's wrong." This time I heard and felt, a slow grin spread across my face as I turned to her, "I swear I think you make up reasons to use my whole first name." Jessie shrugged as that unbelivably sexy grin spread on her lips, "what can I say? Kathryn, I just love that name..." I leaned over and captured her lips in a soft kiss, she kissed back sucking gently on my lower lip before slowly pulling back, "I hope you can say my first name forever and a day Jess." "That's just so romantic, granted a bit odd but I've come to expect that from you." "Ouch Jess, you sure know how to ruin the moment," I joked, pretending to be hurt. "Yea, yea....but I know how to make a good moment to," she teased back with a seductive grin as she leaned towards me. "You sure do...," I murmured as I too leaned forward. "That's right, we know who's running this relationship...," she said as she completed the kiss by pressing her lips to mine. I grinned into the kiss then slowly pulled back, giving a laugh as I nudged her, hoping beyond hope that she'd forgotten my distance earlier. I looked into her sparkling blue eyes. God, these are the moments I live for, I thought. We sat like that for a few moments before she tilted her head slightly, the playfulness gone from her face as she spoke. "Kat, what's wrong," she asked for the third time. I sighed heavily and looked at her as she handed me a styrofoam cup, "what's this," I questioned, not even bothering to hope of switching the subject. "I got you some hot chocolate with the little marshmellows you like...now tell me what's up," she sipped her own cup though her penetrating blue eyes never left mine. How does she do that, I thought absent-mindedly. How does she spear me with just her eyes? It must be some sort of accquired skill.... "I'm just a little tense about going home..." "Why? It's just a place Katie, nothing else, just a place." "Yea but it symbolizes a lot for me, a lot of things in the past that I would've been happier not bringing up," I murmured, barely above a whisper. "Like what," she probed, I know Jessie still didn't know much about my past, I also know it scares her a bit that she doesn't know me front to back. "Like stuff," I said, shrugging her hand off my shoulder. "C'mon Kat, don't be like that," she said, I could feel the hurt in her voice. Sorry, I'm so sorry, I wanted to say. But alas I couldn't. I'm a bit of a coward and my subconcious always seems to find a way to remind me of that. So I bravely took Jess's hand and looked at her intensly. "Jessie, I can't...I can't say the words just yet, but I'm sure you'll find out once we get home..Once we get to Everwood...." ***
*** Snow capped mountains had popped up around me, or so it seemed, by the time I awoke. I took in a deep breath then slowly let it out, watching it crystalize before me. Pulling my thicky insulated, brown leather jacket closer I glanced out the window. The train chugged through a thick cover of snow that blanketed the land at this time of year. We made a path towards Denver, Colorado, slicing through the gorgeously barren fields of the Colorado countryside. Black trees constantly loomed over the horizon, it would look beautiful to anyone else but to me it seemed to be some kind of foreshadowing, some kind of omen. But then again I've always been a bit paranoid. A rustling sound echoed throughout the car above the dull constant sound of chatter, the porter must be coming, I reasoned. The thought just didn't seem to register to me, I pushed it out of my already full mind. There were after all a lot of things to think about. I was heading home, back to Everwood. I don't know why that thought scared me so much but it did all the same. Home hadn't always been a good thing to me. But then again a person's past is hardly ever filled with good things, right? I sighed heavily and reached a hand up, brushing the hair our of my face. How long had it been since I'd seen those mountains? Too long. How long since I'd actually come home? Years... Why was I going home now? To tell them about the marriage, I reasoned. "Miss? Miss can I help you," asked the porter in a friendly tone, I didn't even notice her. "Miss? Miss," she called again. I felt a small weight lift off my shoulders and thought for a moment maybe I was relaxing but then I heard a yawn and knew I hadn't. Jessie had just woken up and she'd gotten off my shoulder. Apparently she heard the porter because I few moments later she said something. After she'd received what she'd ordered Jess turned and looked at me for a moment before speaking softly. I just looked out of the window, watching some snow start to slowly fall. The white flakes galloping quickly down to the ground. "Kat...what's wrong baby," she asked, part of me heard her but yet again I pushed it out of my mind. She reached over and placed a hand on my shoulder before speaking again, "Kathryn Singer you had best tell me what's wrong." This time I heard and felt, a slow grin spread across my face as I turned to her, "I swear I think you make up reasons to use my whole first name." Jessie shrugged as that unbelivably sexy grin spread on her lips, "what can I say? Kathryn, I just love that name..." I leaned over and captured her lips in a soft kiss, she kissed back sucking gently on my lower lip before slowly pulling back, "I hope you can say my first name forever and a day Jess." "That's just so romantic, granted a bit odd but I've come to expect that from you." "Ouch Jess, you sure know how to ruin the moment," I joked, pretending to be hurt. "Yea, yea....but I know how to make a good moment to," she teased back with a seductive grin as she leaned towards me. "You sure do...," I murmured as I too leaned forward. "That's right, we know who's running this relationship...," she said as she completed the kiss by pressing her lips to mine. I grinned into the kiss then slowly pulled back, giving a laugh as I nudged her, hoping beyond hope that she'd forgotten my distance earlier. I looked into her sparkling blue eyes. God, these are the moments I live for, I thought. We sat like that for a few moments before she tilted her head slightly, the playfulness gone from her face as she spoke. "Kat, what's wrong," she asked for the third time. I sighed heavily and looked at her as she handed me a styrofoam cup, "what's this," I questioned, not even bothering to hope of switching the subject. "I got you some hot chocolate with the little marshmellows you like...now tell me what's up," she sipped her own cup though her penetrating blue eyes never left mine. How does she do that, I thought absent-mindedly. How does she spear me with just her eyes? It must be some sort of accquired skill.... "I'm just a little tense about going home..." "Why? It's just a place Katie, nothing else, just a place." "Yea but it symbolizes a lot for me, a lot of things in the past that I would've been happier not bringing up," I murmured, barely above a whisper. "Like what," she probed, I know Jessie still didn't know much about my past, I also know it scares her a bit that she doesn't know me front to back. "Like stuff," I said, shrugging her hand off my shoulder. "C'mon Kat, don't be like that," she said, I could feel the hurt in her voice. Sorry, I'm so sorry, I wanted to say. But alas I couldn't. I'm a bit of a coward and my subconcious always seems to find a way to remind me of that. So I bravely took Jess's hand and looked at her intensly. "Jessie, I can't...I can't say the words just yet, but I'm sure you'll find out once we get home..Once we get to Everwood...." ***