~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I change the key from C to D
You see to me it's just a minor thing
He knows everything
To readjust you've got to trust
That all the fuss is just a minor thing
He knows everything
It's just a minor thing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jack rang the bell at 8:00 sharp that night. Prue came down the stairs in a long, slinky white dress, holding Aviva and looking beatiful, albiet terrified.
"Honey, breathe," Piper instructed, taking the baby from her.
Prue tried to do as told, and gave up after a minute. "Can't. Too nervous."
"Sweetie, don't be," said Paige, who'd been called over by Piper and Phoebe to help Prue with the whole confidence-building thing. "It's just a date. It's supposed to be fun, remember?"
"Easy for you to say," Prue retorted. "You do this on at least a semi-regular basis. Me, I haven't had a date in almost a year."
"Oh, it hasn't been a full year," Phoebe countered. She paused, counting backward. "T.J. was... a little less than ten months ago."
"Fine," Prue said, "So I'm off by two months. Shoot me."
"Maybe later," Piper joked, handing Prue her purse. "Right now, there's a guy waiting outside for you. It might be a good idea for you to open the door."
"Do I have to?" Prue asked. Her sisters all nodded. She took a deep breath, and let Jack in.
"Wow," he said upon seeing her. He'd thought she was beautiful the day she'd walked back into her office, but tonight she looked exquisite. He told her so, and she blushed.
"You don't look so bad yourself," she murmured. In truth, she thought he looked amazing. His surfer-blonde hair was spiked up as usual, and it provided a sriking contrast to his crisp black T-shirt and formal jacket.
"So, you ready?" he asked, forcing himself to stop staring.
She did the same, blinking a few times. "Yeah. Hold on a sec." She introduced him to her sisters, then turned to them in instruction-giving mode. "Okay, she should get back to sleep, like, soon. If she wakes up again-"
"Prue, we live here, too," Phoebe pointed out. "We've watched you go through this every night, we've gone through this ourselves every night, I think we can handle it. We'll make sure she goes to sleep, and don't worry, we won't wait up."
Prue started to say something more, but changed her mind. Instead, she smiled and said simply, "Very funny." She turned toward Piper and gave Aviva a good-night kiss.
"Have fun, honey," Piper said.
"You kids be home by curfew," Paige added.
Prue gave a small laugh, and waved them off before heading out the door with Jack's arm around her waist.
-x-
He took her to one of the hottest restaurants in town, but Prue could barely eat anything. They made the usual first-date small talk, and after they'd gotten through the meal, she didn't object when he suggested going someplace more quiet. They wound up at his apartment across town.
"So, tell me," he implored. They were on lying on his couch, with a fire in the fireplace, and he was holding her comfortably. "Why were you so set against going out with me at first?"
She sighed, leaning against him. "The last time I mixed business with pleasure it just... didn't end the way I'd hoped."
"So one bad experience, and you're branding us all?" he questioned. After she didn't say anything, he shrugged and continued. "I guess that sorta makes sense. I mean, what did falling for a guy on the job ever get you, anyway?"
"It got me Aviva," she said quietly.
There was a pause. He definately hadn't seen that one coming. "So, wait, are you telling me that Aviva's father was a guy you worked with?"
She nodded. "A client, actually. He made me feel things I hadn't felt in years." She sighed, and sat up, staring into the fire. "But he, um, well he was kind of irresponsible, kind of reckless. That's actually what attracted me to him in the first place, but when I found out I was pregnant... He just wasn't ready to be a father, so I set him free."
"You never told him," Jack guessed.
She turned her head, looking back at him. "You think that's so horrible?"
He shook his head. "No, I don't. I think you did what you had to, for him and for your daughter."
She didn't reply, but fell gently back against him.
He kissed her cheek, tucking loose strands of her hair behind her ear. "Hey, listen. You don't have to worry about that from me. I wouldn't hurt you, not even unknowingly like he did. I'm not going anywhere."
"Thank you for that," she said softly. "But I'm not looking for something serious. I don't think it would be fair to you, or to me, or even to Ava, if I got into a long-term relationship before I figure out exactly what I want. I just don't think I'm there yet."
He smiled. "Well, there's one thing we've got in common. But Prue, not every guy you get involved with has to be The One. Most people think it's good to have relationships with people you like, people who make you smile. It doesn't have to be a big thing every time."
"I know," she replied, taking his hand. "It's just that you're the first guy I've seen since Ava was born, and I got so wrapped up in finding a good father for her and providing a good home for her and all these other things that are probably completely pointless to worry about, and I forgot to take it one step at a time."
He started playing with her fingers, and slipped his free arm around her waist. "If they're pointless to worry about, then why were you so worried?"
"Okay, so maybe not completely pointless, but not exactly life-threatening, either," she amended. "I mean, the night Aviva was born was the first time I'd seen my father in twenty years, and while I can't say I didn't wish he'd been there, I was okay growing up without him. I know that Ava'll be okay, too, because she's got so many people who love her - me, my sisters, my father, our friends. It's just that when I was a little girl, I always dreamed about having at least something resembling a traditional family. I guess I just had that image so engraved in my mind that I panicked and lost sight of what I really want."
"Okay," he ventured, "So what do you want?"
She smiled. "Right now, I want someone who can make me happy, just for one moment to the next."
"That's it?" he asked playfully. She nodded, so he started tickling her. Laughing himself, he said, "I think I can handle that."
That's when Prue knew she was falling for him.
****************
~from the song "Minor Thing" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers~
I change the key from C to D
You see to me it's just a minor thing
He knows everything
To readjust you've got to trust
That all the fuss is just a minor thing
He knows everything
It's just a minor thing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jack rang the bell at 8:00 sharp that night. Prue came down the stairs in a long, slinky white dress, holding Aviva and looking beatiful, albiet terrified.
"Honey, breathe," Piper instructed, taking the baby from her.
Prue tried to do as told, and gave up after a minute. "Can't. Too nervous."
"Sweetie, don't be," said Paige, who'd been called over by Piper and Phoebe to help Prue with the whole confidence-building thing. "It's just a date. It's supposed to be fun, remember?"
"Easy for you to say," Prue retorted. "You do this on at least a semi-regular basis. Me, I haven't had a date in almost a year."
"Oh, it hasn't been a full year," Phoebe countered. She paused, counting backward. "T.J. was... a little less than ten months ago."
"Fine," Prue said, "So I'm off by two months. Shoot me."
"Maybe later," Piper joked, handing Prue her purse. "Right now, there's a guy waiting outside for you. It might be a good idea for you to open the door."
"Do I have to?" Prue asked. Her sisters all nodded. She took a deep breath, and let Jack in.
"Wow," he said upon seeing her. He'd thought she was beautiful the day she'd walked back into her office, but tonight she looked exquisite. He told her so, and she blushed.
"You don't look so bad yourself," she murmured. In truth, she thought he looked amazing. His surfer-blonde hair was spiked up as usual, and it provided a sriking contrast to his crisp black T-shirt and formal jacket.
"So, you ready?" he asked, forcing himself to stop staring.
She did the same, blinking a few times. "Yeah. Hold on a sec." She introduced him to her sisters, then turned to them in instruction-giving mode. "Okay, she should get back to sleep, like, soon. If she wakes up again-"
"Prue, we live here, too," Phoebe pointed out. "We've watched you go through this every night, we've gone through this ourselves every night, I think we can handle it. We'll make sure she goes to sleep, and don't worry, we won't wait up."
Prue started to say something more, but changed her mind. Instead, she smiled and said simply, "Very funny." She turned toward Piper and gave Aviva a good-night kiss.
"Have fun, honey," Piper said.
"You kids be home by curfew," Paige added.
Prue gave a small laugh, and waved them off before heading out the door with Jack's arm around her waist.
-x-
He took her to one of the hottest restaurants in town, but Prue could barely eat anything. They made the usual first-date small talk, and after they'd gotten through the meal, she didn't object when he suggested going someplace more quiet. They wound up at his apartment across town.
"So, tell me," he implored. They were on lying on his couch, with a fire in the fireplace, and he was holding her comfortably. "Why were you so set against going out with me at first?"
She sighed, leaning against him. "The last time I mixed business with pleasure it just... didn't end the way I'd hoped."
"So one bad experience, and you're branding us all?" he questioned. After she didn't say anything, he shrugged and continued. "I guess that sorta makes sense. I mean, what did falling for a guy on the job ever get you, anyway?"
"It got me Aviva," she said quietly.
There was a pause. He definately hadn't seen that one coming. "So, wait, are you telling me that Aviva's father was a guy you worked with?"
She nodded. "A client, actually. He made me feel things I hadn't felt in years." She sighed, and sat up, staring into the fire. "But he, um, well he was kind of irresponsible, kind of reckless. That's actually what attracted me to him in the first place, but when I found out I was pregnant... He just wasn't ready to be a father, so I set him free."
"You never told him," Jack guessed.
She turned her head, looking back at him. "You think that's so horrible?"
He shook his head. "No, I don't. I think you did what you had to, for him and for your daughter."
She didn't reply, but fell gently back against him.
He kissed her cheek, tucking loose strands of her hair behind her ear. "Hey, listen. You don't have to worry about that from me. I wouldn't hurt you, not even unknowingly like he did. I'm not going anywhere."
"Thank you for that," she said softly. "But I'm not looking for something serious. I don't think it would be fair to you, or to me, or even to Ava, if I got into a long-term relationship before I figure out exactly what I want. I just don't think I'm there yet."
He smiled. "Well, there's one thing we've got in common. But Prue, not every guy you get involved with has to be The One. Most people think it's good to have relationships with people you like, people who make you smile. It doesn't have to be a big thing every time."
"I know," she replied, taking his hand. "It's just that you're the first guy I've seen since Ava was born, and I got so wrapped up in finding a good father for her and providing a good home for her and all these other things that are probably completely pointless to worry about, and I forgot to take it one step at a time."
He started playing with her fingers, and slipped his free arm around her waist. "If they're pointless to worry about, then why were you so worried?"
"Okay, so maybe not completely pointless, but not exactly life-threatening, either," she amended. "I mean, the night Aviva was born was the first time I'd seen my father in twenty years, and while I can't say I didn't wish he'd been there, I was okay growing up without him. I know that Ava'll be okay, too, because she's got so many people who love her - me, my sisters, my father, our friends. It's just that when I was a little girl, I always dreamed about having at least something resembling a traditional family. I guess I just had that image so engraved in my mind that I panicked and lost sight of what I really want."
"Okay," he ventured, "So what do you want?"
She smiled. "Right now, I want someone who can make me happy, just for one moment to the next."
"That's it?" he asked playfully. She nodded, so he started tickling her. Laughing himself, he said, "I think I can handle that."
That's when Prue knew she was falling for him.
****************
~from the song "Minor Thing" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers~