I wasn't going to post this yet, and wait until I had another chapter to add to it, but I couldn't help myself. Thank you to agge, melly, and Dagmar Buse for the wonderful reviews. I'm so glad you guys like this! ^_^
Chapter 3:Gift
Stretching, Jason sighed. Christmas had come far too fast. He'd sent off his gifts to his old friends and Amber, and had sufficiently stashed the ones for Zack, Trini, and his other friends at the conference. Unfortunately, it had come to that frustrating state when Christmas had been rushed to get here, and was now dragging by until the actual morning of.
Amber had always teased him about his Christmas anxiety. His heart panged at the thought of her. He missed her like crazy, and the letters and phone calls they exchanged only helped so much. He'd hoped to wrangle a flight to Angel Grove for the season, but there was no way he could find room on a flight, let alone afford it.
He sighed again as someone knocked on his door. "It's open!"
Zack poked his head in, grinning wider than the Cheshire Cat. "Hey, Jase. Trini and I were talking, and we decided we wanted to give you your Christmas present a little early."
He raised an eyebrow.
Zack stepped aside, allowing room for another person to enter behind him. Jason's eyes shot wide. "Amber!" he shouted, lunging to his feet. He threw his arms around her, squeezing as tight as he could without hurting her. She hugged back with a force that left him breathless.
He was barely aware of Zack and Trini creeping back out with grins on their faces. Amber smiled up at him, brushing tears from his eyes even as he did the same for her. "God, I missed you." she murmured, leaning against him.
"Me, too." he said hoarsely, giving her another squeeze. "How...I mean...how...?"
She chuckled. "I take back everything I ever said about your friends." At his confusion, she elaborated. "Zack, Trini, Tommy, Billy, and Kimberly pooled their money to get me a plane ticket. From what I heard, Tommy and Kimberly even sweet-talked my boss to make sure I could go."
"I'll have to thank them." he murmured, deeply touched.
She sighed contentedly. "I don't think there's anything I could do to thank them enough."
"I know the feeling."
There was a moment of silence where they simply held onto one another. At last he pulled away. "Uh, here." He quickly cleared off a chair for her, hastily shoving his stuff under his bed.
She raised an eyebrow as she sat. "So that's how you always kept your room so clean."
He smiled faintly. "Actually, I really cleaned it at home. I just never needed to here." The smile turned into a grin. "Besides, it drives Zack crazy."
She laughed along with him, and he could barely remember the last time he felt so happy and nervous all at once. "So you like it here?" she asked.
He hesitated, not quite sure how to answer. "Yeah. Of course I do." He plopped down on his bed and almost missed her rolling her eyes.
"Truth, Jason." she demanded.
He stared at her for a moment, then sighed. "I *do* like it here. I know I'm doing something worthwhile, and I like the people. It's a great experience."
"But?"
"But I miss Angel Grove." he admitted. "I miss hanging out with Tommy, Billy, and Kimberly. I miss giving karate lessons. I even miss Bulk and Skull." He shrugged helplessly, giving the only analogy he could. "I feel like a warrior trapped in peace talks. I love the work, but it's not me, you know?"
"You always did have that violent protective streak." she murmured. She winced just as his temper began to flare. "Sorry. I promised myself I wouldn't fight with you while I was here."
His temper abated a little, and he nodded his understanding. "And I miss Sunday Breakfast." he added suddenly, though that wasn't quite what he'd meant to say.
Sunday Breakfasts were a tradition his mother had started. Sunday had been the only day of the week neither of his parents were working, and she had insisted it was going to be a family day. As Amber and Jason had gotten older spending the entire day together was nearly impossible, but they still managed to sit down for a huge breakfast together. It was one of the things that made them feel close as a family, no matter the circumstances.
After they'd died, Jason had been taken to a temporary foster home while Amber was deemed old enough to care for herself. She'd rallied against the state's decision with a vicious determination Jason never knew she had. They had been like every other brother and sister before; while they cared for one another, they spent more time fighting than looking out for each other. Yet here she was, fighting fiercely to prove she was able to take care of both of them. When she'd finally managed for an appeal, the judge had actually asked Jason what he wanted. His response had been simple and completely honest: "My grandparents disowned us before either of us were even born. I don't have any aunts or uncles, and my parents are dead. My sister is the only family I have. I don't want to loose her with everone else." It was the sincerity in his voice and the caring, teary look Amber gave him in return that had awarded her custody.
It wasn't easy, that was for sure. They were still used to fighting and ignoring one another, and had to try and surpress the instinctive need to argue. It was after a particularly cruel and nasty fight that Jason had woken up to Amber struggling to make a Sunday Breakfast. He'd helped without comment, and while the meal hadn't been the best, they had talked while they ate and bonded in ways he'd never realized they could. They had both learned to cook better since then, as their living situation required it, and Sunday Breakfast had become a sworn tradition. It was what kept them close, where plans were discussed, and where they learned more about each other's daily lives. Something he'd sorely missed since he left for Europe.
To his surprise, she simply smiled back at him. "I miss it, too."
It occured to him how odd this was; his big sister had just flown halfway across the world to see him, and all they did was make small talk. Judging by her expression, it seemed to register to her at the same time. They exhanged grins, and found themselves laughing together.
And Jason couldn't help but notice that a part of the hole in his heart that had formed when he left Angel Grove seemed to have filled.
Chapter 3:Gift
Stretching, Jason sighed. Christmas had come far too fast. He'd sent off his gifts to his old friends and Amber, and had sufficiently stashed the ones for Zack, Trini, and his other friends at the conference. Unfortunately, it had come to that frustrating state when Christmas had been rushed to get here, and was now dragging by until the actual morning of.
Amber had always teased him about his Christmas anxiety. His heart panged at the thought of her. He missed her like crazy, and the letters and phone calls they exchanged only helped so much. He'd hoped to wrangle a flight to Angel Grove for the season, but there was no way he could find room on a flight, let alone afford it.
He sighed again as someone knocked on his door. "It's open!"
Zack poked his head in, grinning wider than the Cheshire Cat. "Hey, Jase. Trini and I were talking, and we decided we wanted to give you your Christmas present a little early."
He raised an eyebrow.
Zack stepped aside, allowing room for another person to enter behind him. Jason's eyes shot wide. "Amber!" he shouted, lunging to his feet. He threw his arms around her, squeezing as tight as he could without hurting her. She hugged back with a force that left him breathless.
He was barely aware of Zack and Trini creeping back out with grins on their faces. Amber smiled up at him, brushing tears from his eyes even as he did the same for her. "God, I missed you." she murmured, leaning against him.
"Me, too." he said hoarsely, giving her another squeeze. "How...I mean...how...?"
She chuckled. "I take back everything I ever said about your friends." At his confusion, she elaborated. "Zack, Trini, Tommy, Billy, and Kimberly pooled their money to get me a plane ticket. From what I heard, Tommy and Kimberly even sweet-talked my boss to make sure I could go."
"I'll have to thank them." he murmured, deeply touched.
She sighed contentedly. "I don't think there's anything I could do to thank them enough."
"I know the feeling."
There was a moment of silence where they simply held onto one another. At last he pulled away. "Uh, here." He quickly cleared off a chair for her, hastily shoving his stuff under his bed.
She raised an eyebrow as she sat. "So that's how you always kept your room so clean."
He smiled faintly. "Actually, I really cleaned it at home. I just never needed to here." The smile turned into a grin. "Besides, it drives Zack crazy."
She laughed along with him, and he could barely remember the last time he felt so happy and nervous all at once. "So you like it here?" she asked.
He hesitated, not quite sure how to answer. "Yeah. Of course I do." He plopped down on his bed and almost missed her rolling her eyes.
"Truth, Jason." she demanded.
He stared at her for a moment, then sighed. "I *do* like it here. I know I'm doing something worthwhile, and I like the people. It's a great experience."
"But?"
"But I miss Angel Grove." he admitted. "I miss hanging out with Tommy, Billy, and Kimberly. I miss giving karate lessons. I even miss Bulk and Skull." He shrugged helplessly, giving the only analogy he could. "I feel like a warrior trapped in peace talks. I love the work, but it's not me, you know?"
"You always did have that violent protective streak." she murmured. She winced just as his temper began to flare. "Sorry. I promised myself I wouldn't fight with you while I was here."
His temper abated a little, and he nodded his understanding. "And I miss Sunday Breakfast." he added suddenly, though that wasn't quite what he'd meant to say.
Sunday Breakfasts were a tradition his mother had started. Sunday had been the only day of the week neither of his parents were working, and she had insisted it was going to be a family day. As Amber and Jason had gotten older spending the entire day together was nearly impossible, but they still managed to sit down for a huge breakfast together. It was one of the things that made them feel close as a family, no matter the circumstances.
After they'd died, Jason had been taken to a temporary foster home while Amber was deemed old enough to care for herself. She'd rallied against the state's decision with a vicious determination Jason never knew she had. They had been like every other brother and sister before; while they cared for one another, they spent more time fighting than looking out for each other. Yet here she was, fighting fiercely to prove she was able to take care of both of them. When she'd finally managed for an appeal, the judge had actually asked Jason what he wanted. His response had been simple and completely honest: "My grandparents disowned us before either of us were even born. I don't have any aunts or uncles, and my parents are dead. My sister is the only family I have. I don't want to loose her with everone else." It was the sincerity in his voice and the caring, teary look Amber gave him in return that had awarded her custody.
It wasn't easy, that was for sure. They were still used to fighting and ignoring one another, and had to try and surpress the instinctive need to argue. It was after a particularly cruel and nasty fight that Jason had woken up to Amber struggling to make a Sunday Breakfast. He'd helped without comment, and while the meal hadn't been the best, they had talked while they ate and bonded in ways he'd never realized they could. They had both learned to cook better since then, as their living situation required it, and Sunday Breakfast had become a sworn tradition. It was what kept them close, where plans were discussed, and where they learned more about each other's daily lives. Something he'd sorely missed since he left for Europe.
To his surprise, she simply smiled back at him. "I miss it, too."
It occured to him how odd this was; his big sister had just flown halfway across the world to see him, and all they did was make small talk. Judging by her expression, it seemed to register to her at the same time. They exhanged grins, and found themselves laughing together.
And Jason couldn't help but notice that a part of the hole in his heart that had formed when he left Angel Grove seemed to have filled.