CHAPTER 57
A/N: Thanks to Amy, Michelle, liz (boho), Kelby, EMI, and Jan. You guys are awesome and thank you for your loyal reviews.
Sorry about the slight delay in this chapter, due to me trying to update one of my other stories. But here's the next installment and I think you all will enjoy it. Hopefully. :o)
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EARLY APRIL 1999
Jackie yawned and leaned up against Mark in the cab. "That was the longest plane ride ever and I need a hot shower right now," she mumbled into his shoulder.
Mark wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her forehead. "How about that was the longest five months, ten hours, and fifteen seconds of my life. And Luke's life."
"Did you really count?"
He grinned. "I just made up the hours and seconds. But yeah, me and Maureen started a countdown in the beginning of March."
Jackie glanced out the window and smiled. "I guess you can say I missed this place," she teased him. "You know, the pollution, the sounds, the boyfriend—"
"The fiancé? Oh yeah, well I think he missed you too. Maybe just a little bit." Mark kissed her.
"Maybe a hell of a lot?" she suggested.
"Yeah guess what?"
"What?"
"You're never leaving the country without me again. Five months of you down under dancing your heart out is too long."
Jackie laughed. "Why do you think Harvey came home after two months?"
"Because Maureen called him crying all the time, begging her husband to come home? Just a guess?" Mark answered.
"Wow, we've gotten sarcastic since I've been gone," she smiled.
"I haven't seen you since February when I flew down to Sydney with Luke. I'm entitled to all the sarcasm I want."
"Ha ha." Jackie stuck her tongue out at him. "I'm going to sleep the second I get inside."
Mark winked at her. "We'll see about that one."
"Sleep, then sex. Sleep, then more sex," she told him. "No sleep, no sex for you. Sorry, that's just the way it works. Besides, you don't want to sleep with someone who's jet lagged anyway. We're not fun. I'll probably fall asleep halfway through."
"That just boosted my self esteem."
The cab parked against the curb. Mark quickly paid the fare and met Jackie on the sidewalk with her luggage. They walked up the stairs and Mark knocked on the apartment door twice.
"No one's home?" Jackie asked him. "Then where's Luke?"
"Don't worry. He's here." Mark then dug around in his pocket for the key flicked on the lights.
"SURPRISE!"
Jackie started laughing when she saw Roger, Mimi, Maureen, and Harvey gathered in the living room. Jaylynn was sitting on the floor by Mimi's feet, and Luke was standing up against the coffee table. His blue eyes lit up at the sight of his mother and he toddled over to her unsteadily.
"Mama! Home!" he called out.
"Yes I am." Jackie picked Luke up and kissed his cheek. "I missed you."
"Miss you, mama," Luke repeated, his small hangs playing with her blonde hair.
Roger stood up and attacked Jackie with a huge hug. "Hey little guy, I missed her more."
"Roger?" Luke repeated. He looked so confused that Mark couldn't help but laugh and take him from Jackie's arms.
"Okay Rog, really, you're cutting off circulation." Jackie looked at his arms. "And you're still really tan."
"Yeah I know," Mimi added. "Don't ask me what he's been doing. I still say he's been hitting the tanning beds but he denies it."
"Ah, the pretty boy front man shares his beauty secrets," Mark teased.
"Hey, shut up! You want the bod."
Maureen rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm, pulling him down on the couch. "Sit down, Roger. Before you make an ass out of yourself."
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They all spent the next twenty minutes catching up on a few things that Jackie had missed from being in Sydney, until Harvey realized that her luggage was still sitting in the middle of the living room.
"Jac, your bags are still sitting in the middle of the living room," Harvey told her. He set his beer down on the table and Maureen snuggled her head into his chest.
"Yeah I know." She eyed them and shrugged. "Want to unpack for me?"
Harvey shook his head. "No thanks."
"Great friend," Maureen snorted.
"What was that?" Harvey laughed at her.
"Alright enough," Mark interrupted. "Rog, you want to get the kids to sleep or what?"
"Yeah sure." Roger scooped up Jaylynn off the floor, causing her to giggle. "Come on Jay."
"Nap? No."
"Nap yes," he explained to her.
Jackie unzipped part of her suitcase and pulled out a photo album while Mark and Roger were putting Luke and Jaylynn to sleep. "I finally got those pictures developed from November."
"How'd they come out?" Mimi asked.
"Yeah," Maureen agreed. "Let's see."
Jackie sat down on the couch in between Harvey and Mimi. She propped the album up so all four of them, including Maureen, could view the pictures.
The first few were taken when Jackie's friend Shawn had attempted to give Roger, Harvey, and Mark surfing lessons at the beach. There were some good ones of Roger paddling out and managing to surf a few waves, but there were also some hilarious photos of Mark wiping out and landing face first on the sand, Roger not far behind him.
Mimi pointed to one where Roger was sprawled out in the sand. "I'm using that one as blackmail."
"What are you using for blackmail?" Roger had walked out of Jaylynn's room and was resting his hands on her shoulders.
Mimi pointed to the photos again. "This picture. It shows a different side of you, don't you think?"
"Bitch," he teased her. "Yeah, I had a bunch of sand up my ass. Great picture of me."
Harvey flipped forward a few pages and Maureen shrieked. She covered the picture and took it off of his lap.
"Oh my god! Jacqueline Marie Ferrell! What the hell is that doing in there?" she squealed.
"What?" Jackie looked at the picture and started laughing. "Oh my god! I swear I didn't put that in there. Shawn and a few of his friends finished the album for me and put the rest of the pictures in there when I got them developed.
"But you, me, and Mimi are sunbathing topless! On the beach! Who took this picture?"
Roger shrugged innocently. "Not I." His lips curled up into a smile.
Mimi's mouth dropped open. "You little pervert!"
"Oh come on! I only did it because Mark and Harvey dared me too! And you all have really nice—"
"Tits? Racks? Boobs?" Harvey suggested. "Those words any help?"
Maureen smacked Roger in his shoulder. "Fucking pervert. I'm never going to the beach with you again." She glanced down at Harvey and shook her head. "And you were in on this."
"You guys took of your bikini tops. It was like an invitation," Harvey defended himself.
"So if you three sunbathed nude, is that an invitation to take pictures of your packages?" Mimi questioned.
"Honey you've seen my package enough times that you don't need a picture anymore," Roger laughed.
Mimi just shot Roger a glare, but had a smile poised on her lips. Harvey high fived him and started cracking up. "Definitely agree. Maureen, that goes for you too."
"Okay, so no more nudie pictures?" Jackie looked at all of them. "Promise?"
"You're no fun," Harvey told her. "It's not like anyone else besides us are going to see these pictures."
"Yeah but still."
Mark walked back into the apartment. "What'd I miss?"
"Roger took topless pictures of the three of us when we were in Australia. Other than that, not much," Maureen informed him. "Oh, and Mimi offered to take a picture of Roger's hoo hah."
"Hoo hah?" Roger questioned her. "God, I'm glad I'm not sleeping with you."
"Shut up," she laughed.
"Children, how about a video?" Mark suggested.
"Oh, the video!" Roger laughed. "Yes, the video."
"You're being quirky today Roger," Jackie smiled.
"I know. You'll like the video though."
"Well does the video have a name?" she asked him. "Where'd Mark go?"
"To get—THE VIDEO," Roger laughed menacingly.
Mimi pinched his ribs. "Cut that out, Mr. Maturity."
"Sorry baby, I'm trying to not be mature until I reach thirty," he winked at her.
"Let's all hope that Jaylynn doesn't follow that pattern," Harvey replied discreetly.
"Hey, when you have kids, then come talk to me and join the parenting club. Speaking of, when are you having kids?" Roger asked.
Maureen blushed slightly. "When we're ready."
"Which will be?"
"Maybe in a year or two," Harvey answered. "To give Maureen enough time on Broadway so her name is out there and so I can cut back on productions."
"Uncle Roger's gonna be broke by the time he's thirty," Jackie pointed out.
"Yeah, well so will Aunt Jackie. Pipe down."
"Ouch. That hurt."
Mark walked out into the living room with a reel of film. He plugged in his old projector and positioned it so the movie would show on the blank white wall near the windows. He turned off the lights, but didn't pull down the shades since it was already pitch black out.
"Ladies and gentleman, I present to you a movie that has documented the last five months in New York City and the loft for my lovely fiancée Jacqueline. Please, make sure to turn all of your cell phones off, and as a small reminder, lets keep our hands, feet, and lips to ourselves. Especially Mr. and Mrs. Davis. Smile!" Mark initiated in a fake announcer voice. He sat down on the floor and pulled Jackie into his lap.
"You did this for me?"
"Yup."
The movie opened with Jaylynn and Luke running across the screen. They both paused in front of the camera and waved the best they could for only being a year and a half old. Roger could be seen in the background playing his guitar, and when the camera zoomed in on him, he smiled and held up a sign that said, "Rock stars can have kids, too."
Harvey pretended to fake cough. "Loser."
"Shut up, dick," Roger shot back.
"Your mother."
"Your mother was good last night."
"God, shut up!" Mimi reprimanded both of them. "I want to see this!"
Jackie smiled and leaned up to kiss Mark. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
It was good to be home.
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