Title: 12 songs by Willie Nelson
Disclaimer: Nothing's changed.
Summary: Jackie's summer alone turns into a summer on the phone with the man
that she just can't seem to leave behind.
Credit: Okay you guys have been mega
patient what with these no J/H interaction chapters. They are a thing of the past.
Thanks for liking Zeke (I think he is super myself). He was a little Remy (The Big Easy), a
little Captain Nemo (LXG), a little JRH (my brother). But anyway please keep giving me feedback. I'm running out of chapters now so I got to
get this wrapped up. I think I'm going
to be sad to see this one go – I didn't think I would be. But you guys have been so great and I really
hope you continue to like it. Hey if
anybody has any quotes they think I should use send them to me –dancin_virginia@yahoo.com or put
them in the review. I'd appreciate it
mucho.
Song Cred: Song 9: Don't Fade Away
________________________________________________________________________
Things do not change. We change.
-Henry David Thoreau
Oh my poor little broody brood. (Kitty laugh) You know when I first met you, you were such a cute little guy and now you're a great big guy. With great big hair and great big problems. My little broody brood.
-Kitty
When the world is crashing down
And you're left alone on shaky groundIt seems like losing hope's
The only way to cope
But you can turn around and see
That every precious memory
Is still inside of you
Just let it shine on through
Don't fade away
Nothing's what it seems
You're lost and in between
But you'll find yourself again
Don't fade away
Hold on to your dreams
Through waves of suffering
The tide will turn again
Don't fade away
Don't fade away
Take your time and think it through
You've got everything in front of you
It's like a brand new page
Each and every day
All that you've seen
All that you've done
Don't say its over
You hold the key
Unlock the sun
Hyde still felt hung over 2 days later. He knew it had little to do with any lingering effects of alcohol and everything to do with the dead silence of the Forman household. The phone had not rung, the dog had not barked and Kitty and Red had said very little to him because of it. They all felt sorry for him and for once he welcomed the pity. He felt sorry for himself. Well he did when he wasn't hating himself.
Forman had said that she would call. He had believed him. And even now he was worried as well as upset. What if something had happened to her? God knows with her mother anything was possible. He sat on the sofa staring into blank space and listened –nothing. It was as if he was the bionic man and his heightened sense of hearing could pick up everything. Crickets outside – Bob taking out the trash next door – Red opening the garage fridge attempting to sneak a beer when Kitty wasn't looking – Kitty looking. He could hear everything. And nothing. Silence, the horrible sound of the phone not ringing. Didn't Jimmy Buffet write a song called If the phone doesn't ring its me? Did that count as country? Hyde shut his eyes and willed himself not to notice something that was not happening. And then it did. The ring was violently loud in his ears. He had the phone to his ear before the first chime ended.
"Hello?" he asked hopeful.
Jackie on the other end was overjoyed at the tone. He was happy to hear from her. He missed her too. She smiled at Zeke and he left her alone to the conversation.
"Hey Steven."
He breathed in a sigh of relief. He had missed her so much. More even than he had at the beginning of the summer when he hadn't talked to her at all. He had to tell her. He had to swallow his damn pride for 10 seconds and make sure he didn't have to feel that feeling ever again.
"God Jackie. Don't ever do that to me again. Call and yell at me – hell call and refuse to talk – just don't not call."
She smiled. He had really missed her as much as she missed him. She wanted him to know she appreciated his un-Hyde like admission.
"I love you Steven."
Suddenly the Forman house was full of silence again. That was the last thing he expected. He never really thought he would hear those words again. Not because she didn't feel them –just because he hurt her and said it himself too late.
"Say something Steven". She demanded. She knew he loved her but his silence was still frightening.
He swallowed audibly. "Come home".
She gasped. It was exactly what she wanted to hear. Better than "I love you too". Much preferred to "I'm sorry". It was music to her ears. And quite impossible. She sighed.
"What? Now you don't want to come home?" he asked panicked, laughing to break his tension.
She rushed to answer. "No Steven that is not it. Look, I was mad at you. I was. But that isn't why I didn't call."
"What you broke your dialing finger?" he joked.
She didn't know what to say. Hey you remember how my mom sucks? Yeah might as well tell the truth. "Hey you remember how my mom sucks?"
He sat back on the sofa. "Yeah?"
"Well she kind of broke up with the bill paying guy."
"Oh?" he was glad but at the same time pissed that he had went through 3 days of hell because of Jackie's lush mother.
"Yeah and she met a new guy".
"And?" there was something she was leading up to.
"And they left town. I don't know where exactly. The front desk guy just said that she took her luggage and ordered a cab for the airport."
He was floored. How could she do that to Jackie? How could anyone…he stopped himself when images of his own mother and father popped in his head. "God Jacks – where are you?"
She knew he would understand. He'd been through it himself. Now he was in full Hero mode, trying to come up with some way to help her. She hoped he could come up with something because she was fresh out of ideas. "Well thank god and Todd –the hotel room is paid up through the end of the month. But short of mom remembering me and getting her new toy to wire me some money for a plane ticket or me getting a job and saving for the rest of the summer – I'm screwed. The only way I could even call you is to borrow the bar phone."
God this was all his fault. If he had told her to come home a week ago –Todd would have paid and she would be back in his arms right now. Where she belonged. "This is all my fault."
She didn't argue. A girl had to enjoy small victories. She didn't want him feeling too bad though because she did love him. "I could have come home anyway. I could have never left."
"I could have trusted you." He added in a huff.
She laughed. "Yeah you could have. But seriously –that bone has lost its flavor."
She was right it was time to let the self-recrimination go. They had bigger problems now. Like getting her home.
"Maybe I could ask the Forman's for a loan?"
"What? No. I don't want you taking any money away from your college fund. I can just get a job. They need a waitress at the café at the hotel. I'll make up some references and by….you know….November I'll have enough money to get home."
She couldn't even lie –that was the dumbest plan ever. Even if she flirted with every dirty old man in this Time Zone it would still take forever. Nope –she needed her mother to call.
"But Jacks you can't stay that long. You have to get back for school. Is there any old friend of your dad's that you can call?"
She racked her brain but couldn't think of anyone that hadn't already turned there back on her dad. He'd been in prison for months exhausting his appeals. If there was anyone still in his back pocket they weren't very useful.
"Nope. This is useless." She put her head by on the bar.
He ran his hand through his hair. "No. Don't give up." He got them into this mess. He would get them out. "I'll figure out something."
It was something to say, a declarative statement that could be proven false easily. But she took comfort in it anyway. They were talking again, sharing the burden of life, and that was all that mattered. She hoped.
A/N: Hey guys, I have an apology. I usually try to stay pretty accurate to era –but I couldn't this time. The reference to the Jimmy Buffett song –If the phone doesn't ring it's me –that song was on a 1985 album called Last Mango in Paris. Jimmy could have written it in the 70's and Jimmy Buffett was certainly a figure in music in the 70s (although Bob would have listened to him more than Hyde) but he didn't. I just wanted to reference it. Oh well Kelso is so starting to have 80's hair so I can be a little out of era (ooe) if I want. Ha! Sorry.
And also I just wanted to say that the conflict is not over –the big reunion not definite –so keep reading please.
