Anything for You
Chapter 2:Departure
Jason stared out the window of the airplane, fists clenched tightly. He couldn't believe it. She wouldn't even come to see him off. After everything, no matter how many times he had tried to explain his reasoning, helped with the paperwork and around the house, she wouldn't even say goodbye. Her absence had hurt far more than he was willing to admit.
Trini touched his fist, giving it a gentle squeeze. She said nothing, knowing there was nothing she *could* say. Zack reached across her to pat his shoulder, offering his own support. He tried to smile to say he appreciated knowing they were in this together, but he still felt like a part of him had been left behind in Angel Grove. At last he muttered something about the bathroom and squeezed past them, refusing to look at their sympathetic gazes. He barely made it inside to lock the door before he lost it, leaning against the wall of the tiny space as silent sobs wracked his frame.
"Why?" he choked out. "Why didn't you come?"
****
"At last!" Zack moaned, tossing his duffle on the ground and flopping on the bed of the dorm room they shared. "I thought that plane was *never* going to land!"
Jason remained silent, carefully unpacking his suitcase. His eyes were still faintly red, but his friends had wisely chosen to say nothing. He just wanted to crawl in bed and sleep, ignoring all his problems. Hopefully if he slept long enough, he'd forget his thoughts completely.
To his annoyance, someone knocked on the door and poked their head in. "One of you Scott?"
"Lee Scott." he corrected automatically. Scott was his father's last name; Lee his mother's. They'd combined them when Amber was born, being that they weren't married, and Amber had insisted on the same for him. He was proud of being a Lee Scott, and he had no qualms about reminding people.
"Whatever. You've got a phone call."
He exchanged a puzzled glance with Zack before following the man, his friend following behind. Who in the world would call at this hour? And how did they know when he'd arrived?
He picked up the phone cautiously. "Hello?"
"Jase?"
He frowned. "Tommy, is that you? What's up, bro? How'd you know when we got here?"
"I kept calling until they said they found you." came the simple reply. "Jase...here."
There was a pause, and a teary voice came on. "Jason?"
He started, eyes widening. "Amber?"
"Oh, god, Jason, I'm sorry!" she sobbed hysterically. "I tried to get there in time but there was so much traffic and then I got there but they said the plane was done loading and they wouldn't let me on-"
"Breath, Amby." he soothed, trying to keep her from hyperventilating.
There was a moment of silence.
"Amber?" he asked, growing worried. "Are you still there?"
Her voice was so quiet he had to strain to hear it. "You called me Amby."
He swallowed. "You're still my Amby, aren't you?"
"Yeah." she whispered.
He found a relieved smile creeping across his face, only to be stopped by a yawn.
"You should get some sleep." she said softly.
"I don't wanna hang up."
"Me, neither." A pause. "I am proud of you, Jason. No matter what. I love you so much, and I just...miss you." she faltered.
"I miss you, too." he told her quietly. He fought off another yawn, dreading the thought of ending the conversation.
There was a soft chuckle. "Go to sleep, Jason. You can call me when you wake up, and we'll talk more then."
"Promise?" he mumbled.
"Promise." Her tone was warm and gentle, making him feel reassured. "Sweet dreams good night. I love you, baby brother."
"Love you too, Amby."
"Hang up, Jason."
He hesitated.
"Now, Jason."
He set the phone down reluctantly, turning to find Zack smiling at him. The other boy clapped him on the back. "Let's get some sleep, man. I'm exhausted."
"Me, too." he admitted. When he crawled into his new bed in an unfamiliar room, the familiar phrase rang through his mind, and he closed his eyes with a smile on his face. "Sweet dreams good night, Amby." he murmured.
Zack grinned to himself at his friend's words. Jason may be a tough guy, but when it came to Amber, he was a little childish. Trini and Kimberly claimed it was 'charming' and 'cute'. He thought it was funny himself, but he would never tell Jason that. Jason needed his big sister, and the comfort she provided.
Besides, he was quite frankly just as scared of a protective Amber as everyone else.
Chapter 2:Departure
Jason stared out the window of the airplane, fists clenched tightly. He couldn't believe it. She wouldn't even come to see him off. After everything, no matter how many times he had tried to explain his reasoning, helped with the paperwork and around the house, she wouldn't even say goodbye. Her absence had hurt far more than he was willing to admit.
Trini touched his fist, giving it a gentle squeeze. She said nothing, knowing there was nothing she *could* say. Zack reached across her to pat his shoulder, offering his own support. He tried to smile to say he appreciated knowing they were in this together, but he still felt like a part of him had been left behind in Angel Grove. At last he muttered something about the bathroom and squeezed past them, refusing to look at their sympathetic gazes. He barely made it inside to lock the door before he lost it, leaning against the wall of the tiny space as silent sobs wracked his frame.
"Why?" he choked out. "Why didn't you come?"
****
"At last!" Zack moaned, tossing his duffle on the ground and flopping on the bed of the dorm room they shared. "I thought that plane was *never* going to land!"
Jason remained silent, carefully unpacking his suitcase. His eyes were still faintly red, but his friends had wisely chosen to say nothing. He just wanted to crawl in bed and sleep, ignoring all his problems. Hopefully if he slept long enough, he'd forget his thoughts completely.
To his annoyance, someone knocked on the door and poked their head in. "One of you Scott?"
"Lee Scott." he corrected automatically. Scott was his father's last name; Lee his mother's. They'd combined them when Amber was born, being that they weren't married, and Amber had insisted on the same for him. He was proud of being a Lee Scott, and he had no qualms about reminding people.
"Whatever. You've got a phone call."
He exchanged a puzzled glance with Zack before following the man, his friend following behind. Who in the world would call at this hour? And how did they know when he'd arrived?
He picked up the phone cautiously. "Hello?"
"Jase?"
He frowned. "Tommy, is that you? What's up, bro? How'd you know when we got here?"
"I kept calling until they said they found you." came the simple reply. "Jase...here."
There was a pause, and a teary voice came on. "Jason?"
He started, eyes widening. "Amber?"
"Oh, god, Jason, I'm sorry!" she sobbed hysterically. "I tried to get there in time but there was so much traffic and then I got there but they said the plane was done loading and they wouldn't let me on-"
"Breath, Amby." he soothed, trying to keep her from hyperventilating.
There was a moment of silence.
"Amber?" he asked, growing worried. "Are you still there?"
Her voice was so quiet he had to strain to hear it. "You called me Amby."
He swallowed. "You're still my Amby, aren't you?"
"Yeah." she whispered.
He found a relieved smile creeping across his face, only to be stopped by a yawn.
"You should get some sleep." she said softly.
"I don't wanna hang up."
"Me, neither." A pause. "I am proud of you, Jason. No matter what. I love you so much, and I just...miss you." she faltered.
"I miss you, too." he told her quietly. He fought off another yawn, dreading the thought of ending the conversation.
There was a soft chuckle. "Go to sleep, Jason. You can call me when you wake up, and we'll talk more then."
"Promise?" he mumbled.
"Promise." Her tone was warm and gentle, making him feel reassured. "Sweet dreams good night. I love you, baby brother."
"Love you too, Amby."
"Hang up, Jason."
He hesitated.
"Now, Jason."
He set the phone down reluctantly, turning to find Zack smiling at him. The other boy clapped him on the back. "Let's get some sleep, man. I'm exhausted."
"Me, too." he admitted. When he crawled into his new bed in an unfamiliar room, the familiar phrase rang through his mind, and he closed his eyes with a smile on his face. "Sweet dreams good night, Amby." he murmured.
Zack grinned to himself at his friend's words. Jason may be a tough guy, but when it came to Amber, he was a little childish. Trini and Kimberly claimed it was 'charming' and 'cute'. He thought it was funny himself, but he would never tell Jason that. Jason needed his big sister, and the comfort she provided.
Besides, he was quite frankly just as scared of a protective Amber as everyone else.