Somewhere Out There
A/N: so yup, all of the Degrassi episodes are titled after pretty cheesy 80's music, ha, so I guess I'll title my stories with song titles, although they might not be so much cheesy as they are corny. Wait, what's the difference? It's all food. :-P Read/Review please
Chapter 1: Only the Good Die Young
Craig Manning was really sick and tired of all of the death in his life. He was starting to blame God, or blame his belief structure anyways, since it decided to let him down. And everyone else at Degrassi just seemed to be really sick and tired of Craig Manning.
He really had to start believing in karma. What else could it be? His father and mother's deaths were not his fault, he admitted, but this one, it could very well be the result of his devious actions during the past year. Not directly, of course, but the call from his Uncle Nick coming just months after the fallout with Manny and Ashley, that was more than a coincidence. True, his Aunt Maggie, his mother's sister, had been diagnosed with cancer more than four years ago, but she was beating it! She was out of the woods, according to the doctors. What did doctors know anyway? God, they made so many stupid mistakes. She was 33 years old, she was too young to die. Everyone around Craig seemed to be dying. Who would be next? Joey? Ang? Himself?
The funeral was tomorrow. Too soon. He threw a suit into a pack and drove himself and Ang to Caitlin's office to return her car. He had just gotten his license a few weeks ago but didn't get to have much fun with it, before the death happened and his driving skills were needed for family business. Joe still hadn't come through on that promise of a car, it seemed like he was stalling for some reason. Maybe none of the cars at his lot actually work, Craig joked to himself. He had to borrow the car that day since Joe had already left for Syracuse and Craig was babysitting Ang.
He walked into her office. "Ready?" he asked, restraining Ang by one arm as she tried to run over to her new friend, Ellie. "We're going to be late for our plane, Ang, stop it," he muttered to her.
"Yea, I guess, I just have to fax this last paper, and oh, this is such terrible timing," Caitlin sighed. "I mean," she started to catch herself after seeing the distorted look on Craig's face, "this is terrible what happened to your aunt. You loved her very much, I could tell." Of course he loved her! She was the link Craig had to his mother, her smile reflecting that of his mother's. But he also knew Caitlin was stressed to the breaking point, and he didn't dare try to add more.
"It's no problem, I'll take Ang over to see Ellie for a minute while you get ready," he offered.
"Oh, that would be great. Just don't keep her preoccupied for too long," she joked.
Craig let his sister go, and she flew at Ellie. He strolled idly behind her, reaching the small closet Ellie called an office a few moments after Ang. "Here, do you want to help me watch these tapes?" El asked Ang.
"Yes!" she cried jumping into a chair next to Ellie.
"Hey," Craig said from the doorway.
"Hey," she said, not looking up.
"Still mad?" he asked.
"I was never mad. I thought what you did to Ash was a deliberately hateful move that only a jackass would do, but if you heard the things she said, I was definately a mild spectator," she said coming to the door so Ang wouldn't hear.
"Just, I don't know, you don't owe me any favors," he murmured.
"You're right. I don't," she said sternly. She saw the hurt in his eyes at her words. "Well, what's the favor?"
"I could never make up for what I did. And I don't expect Ashley to ever speak to me again. But tell her that she can never know how truly sorry I am. It was the biggest mistake of my life, and if I live to be 100, which at my family's rate of dying is a pretty slim chance, then I would still hurt for Ash and I will never forget or stop loving her," he pleaded to her.
"Alright alright, I'll tell her. But it's not for you, it's just so that she can cope better," Ellie decided.
"That's all I'm asking. Thanks," he said.
At that moment, Caitlin walked up behind the two. "Alright Craig, I'm ready. Are you ready Ang?"
"Nope!" Ang called from her chair. "I'm staying with Ellie!"
"Haha very funny, kiddo," Ellie said, walking back to her chair. "But I have very important work to do, and besides, your daddy would be very upset if you didn't go down to Syracuse with Craig and Caitlin.
Ang finally gave in, standing and sulking over to Craig. "It won't be that bad," Craig promised.
Scene: The Dot, evening, Ash is sitting at a table talking to Spinner, who's working.
Ellie comes running through the door. "Sorry I'm late," she said as she took a seat across from Ashley.
"No problem," Ash said, finishing her cup of coffee. "I was just making chit chat with an employee."
"Hey Spin," Ellie said.
"Heya Ellie," Spinner said as he idly swiped their table a few times with a rag. His boss came out and gave him a stern look.
"There's plenty of tables without pretty girls sitting at them that need washed too, Gavin," his boss called.
"Gotcha," Spin called back, and gave the two slightly amused girls a wink as he went to clean off another table.
"So how was work?" Ash asked.
"Oh, fine. I had a few visitors," she teased.
"Who?" Ash said, not as interested as Ellie hoped.
"Angela and Craig," she said, exaggerating all the syllables.
"Sounds fun," Ashley said with an heir of indifference. "What did you three do?"
"They didn't stay long. They were on their way out," she replied.
"To the funeral?"
"Yup. But I did get a nice little speech from Craig. It was touching, in a way. It was something along the lines of, he's sorry. Again. I'm surprised he doesn't just send you a tape of that American idol song where the guy just says how sorry he is over and over again." The girls laughed. "Ash," Ellie said suddenly changing the mood back to serious. "He's going through a lot. I would understand totally if you hit me for saying this, but maybe you should talk to him, just get his side of the story for once. He won't have any excuses, I'm sure, but maybe the fact that he's really beating himself up over this will help you move on. And it would be good for him, too."
"You know what, El? I'm seriously thinking about doing that. Is it crazy? Am I just setting myself up for disappointment? I mean, it's not like I'm going to rekindle any old flame, just put everything in the past. It would feel nice. I might even be able to think about dating again. Maybe," she said smiling.
"You're a big girl. You won't let yourself get hurt again. And honestly, Craig isn't stupid enough to try anything. He's definately changed, for the better," Ellie reassured.
"I think I'll find him when he comes back to school, then. Now, are you ready to go see that movie?"
Scene: Syracuse, NY, the wake at Nick and Maggie Carpenter's house, mid-afternoon the next day.
"How's he holding up?" Craig asked as Joey approached him.
"As well as can be expected, I imagined," Joey said.
"I think I'm going to go talk to him now," Craig said.
"Good idea."
Craig walked over to his uncle, who had just turned away from a few of their distant relatives from other parts of New York. "Craig!" Nick exclaimed. "Just the man I was looking for."
"Really?" Craig asked, surprised. "I'm so sorry about Aunt Maggie, by the way. Who could've known? It's tearing me up."
"She was a beautiful woman, but only the good die young, they say. I guess there's some comfort in the fact that she's not suffering anymore," his eyes seemed to drift, and Craig got a worried expression on his fact. "Oh, but anyways, Joe and I were talking, and he's been telling me Canada's not been treating you too well."
Craig laughed a bit, shocked that Joey would be griping about Craig's life to a man who just lost his wife. "It's really not that bad. I did a few things wrong, I feel awful, and I just wish I could start over fresh."
"Craig, as you can guess, this is a really tough time on all of us, but I think I might have an idea that could make things a little better."
"Really?" Craig asked, once again surprised. He hadn't expected this.
"Joey and I have been talking about it this last day, and he agrees it would be good for you to get out of Degrassi," he started.
"Yea, it probably would."
"Well, I think it would make it a lot easier on me to have someone there for me right now. Maggie and I always wanted to have a child, but ever since she was diagnosed, her immune system has been too weak to be able to provide for a baby. Anyways, I think it might be a good idea if you moved down here for awhile."
Craig looked at him shocked. He started to say he couldn't, but then thought about going back to Degrassi and having to face Manny and Ashley everyday, not to mention their friends, and the guilt all of that would bring.
"Well, I'll definately have to think about it," Craig said. "But, if you wanted to start changing your guestroom into a bedroom, I wouldn't think that such a bad idea." They both smiled. A fresh start.
A/N: so yup, all of the Degrassi episodes are titled after pretty cheesy 80's music, ha, so I guess I'll title my stories with song titles, although they might not be so much cheesy as they are corny. Wait, what's the difference? It's all food. :-P Read/Review please
Chapter 1: Only the Good Die Young
Craig Manning was really sick and tired of all of the death in his life. He was starting to blame God, or blame his belief structure anyways, since it decided to let him down. And everyone else at Degrassi just seemed to be really sick and tired of Craig Manning.
He really had to start believing in karma. What else could it be? His father and mother's deaths were not his fault, he admitted, but this one, it could very well be the result of his devious actions during the past year. Not directly, of course, but the call from his Uncle Nick coming just months after the fallout with Manny and Ashley, that was more than a coincidence. True, his Aunt Maggie, his mother's sister, had been diagnosed with cancer more than four years ago, but she was beating it! She was out of the woods, according to the doctors. What did doctors know anyway? God, they made so many stupid mistakes. She was 33 years old, she was too young to die. Everyone around Craig seemed to be dying. Who would be next? Joey? Ang? Himself?
The funeral was tomorrow. Too soon. He threw a suit into a pack and drove himself and Ang to Caitlin's office to return her car. He had just gotten his license a few weeks ago but didn't get to have much fun with it, before the death happened and his driving skills were needed for family business. Joe still hadn't come through on that promise of a car, it seemed like he was stalling for some reason. Maybe none of the cars at his lot actually work, Craig joked to himself. He had to borrow the car that day since Joe had already left for Syracuse and Craig was babysitting Ang.
He walked into her office. "Ready?" he asked, restraining Ang by one arm as she tried to run over to her new friend, Ellie. "We're going to be late for our plane, Ang, stop it," he muttered to her.
"Yea, I guess, I just have to fax this last paper, and oh, this is such terrible timing," Caitlin sighed. "I mean," she started to catch herself after seeing the distorted look on Craig's face, "this is terrible what happened to your aunt. You loved her very much, I could tell." Of course he loved her! She was the link Craig had to his mother, her smile reflecting that of his mother's. But he also knew Caitlin was stressed to the breaking point, and he didn't dare try to add more.
"It's no problem, I'll take Ang over to see Ellie for a minute while you get ready," he offered.
"Oh, that would be great. Just don't keep her preoccupied for too long," she joked.
Craig let his sister go, and she flew at Ellie. He strolled idly behind her, reaching the small closet Ellie called an office a few moments after Ang. "Here, do you want to help me watch these tapes?" El asked Ang.
"Yes!" she cried jumping into a chair next to Ellie.
"Hey," Craig said from the doorway.
"Hey," she said, not looking up.
"Still mad?" he asked.
"I was never mad. I thought what you did to Ash was a deliberately hateful move that only a jackass would do, but if you heard the things she said, I was definately a mild spectator," she said coming to the door so Ang wouldn't hear.
"Just, I don't know, you don't owe me any favors," he murmured.
"You're right. I don't," she said sternly. She saw the hurt in his eyes at her words. "Well, what's the favor?"
"I could never make up for what I did. And I don't expect Ashley to ever speak to me again. But tell her that she can never know how truly sorry I am. It was the biggest mistake of my life, and if I live to be 100, which at my family's rate of dying is a pretty slim chance, then I would still hurt for Ash and I will never forget or stop loving her," he pleaded to her.
"Alright alright, I'll tell her. But it's not for you, it's just so that she can cope better," Ellie decided.
"That's all I'm asking. Thanks," he said.
At that moment, Caitlin walked up behind the two. "Alright Craig, I'm ready. Are you ready Ang?"
"Nope!" Ang called from her chair. "I'm staying with Ellie!"
"Haha very funny, kiddo," Ellie said, walking back to her chair. "But I have very important work to do, and besides, your daddy would be very upset if you didn't go down to Syracuse with Craig and Caitlin.
Ang finally gave in, standing and sulking over to Craig. "It won't be that bad," Craig promised.
Scene: The Dot, evening, Ash is sitting at a table talking to Spinner, who's working.
Ellie comes running through the door. "Sorry I'm late," she said as she took a seat across from Ashley.
"No problem," Ash said, finishing her cup of coffee. "I was just making chit chat with an employee."
"Hey Spin," Ellie said.
"Heya Ellie," Spinner said as he idly swiped their table a few times with a rag. His boss came out and gave him a stern look.
"There's plenty of tables without pretty girls sitting at them that need washed too, Gavin," his boss called.
"Gotcha," Spin called back, and gave the two slightly amused girls a wink as he went to clean off another table.
"So how was work?" Ash asked.
"Oh, fine. I had a few visitors," she teased.
"Who?" Ash said, not as interested as Ellie hoped.
"Angela and Craig," she said, exaggerating all the syllables.
"Sounds fun," Ashley said with an heir of indifference. "What did you three do?"
"They didn't stay long. They were on their way out," she replied.
"To the funeral?"
"Yup. But I did get a nice little speech from Craig. It was touching, in a way. It was something along the lines of, he's sorry. Again. I'm surprised he doesn't just send you a tape of that American idol song where the guy just says how sorry he is over and over again." The girls laughed. "Ash," Ellie said suddenly changing the mood back to serious. "He's going through a lot. I would understand totally if you hit me for saying this, but maybe you should talk to him, just get his side of the story for once. He won't have any excuses, I'm sure, but maybe the fact that he's really beating himself up over this will help you move on. And it would be good for him, too."
"You know what, El? I'm seriously thinking about doing that. Is it crazy? Am I just setting myself up for disappointment? I mean, it's not like I'm going to rekindle any old flame, just put everything in the past. It would feel nice. I might even be able to think about dating again. Maybe," she said smiling.
"You're a big girl. You won't let yourself get hurt again. And honestly, Craig isn't stupid enough to try anything. He's definately changed, for the better," Ellie reassured.
"I think I'll find him when he comes back to school, then. Now, are you ready to go see that movie?"
Scene: Syracuse, NY, the wake at Nick and Maggie Carpenter's house, mid-afternoon the next day.
"How's he holding up?" Craig asked as Joey approached him.
"As well as can be expected, I imagined," Joey said.
"I think I'm going to go talk to him now," Craig said.
"Good idea."
Craig walked over to his uncle, who had just turned away from a few of their distant relatives from other parts of New York. "Craig!" Nick exclaimed. "Just the man I was looking for."
"Really?" Craig asked, surprised. "I'm so sorry about Aunt Maggie, by the way. Who could've known? It's tearing me up."
"She was a beautiful woman, but only the good die young, they say. I guess there's some comfort in the fact that she's not suffering anymore," his eyes seemed to drift, and Craig got a worried expression on his fact. "Oh, but anyways, Joe and I were talking, and he's been telling me Canada's not been treating you too well."
Craig laughed a bit, shocked that Joey would be griping about Craig's life to a man who just lost his wife. "It's really not that bad. I did a few things wrong, I feel awful, and I just wish I could start over fresh."
"Craig, as you can guess, this is a really tough time on all of us, but I think I might have an idea that could make things a little better."
"Really?" Craig asked, once again surprised. He hadn't expected this.
"Joey and I have been talking about it this last day, and he agrees it would be good for you to get out of Degrassi," he started.
"Yea, it probably would."
"Well, I think it would make it a lot easier on me to have someone there for me right now. Maggie and I always wanted to have a child, but ever since she was diagnosed, her immune system has been too weak to be able to provide for a baby. Anyways, I think it might be a good idea if you moved down here for awhile."
Craig looked at him shocked. He started to say he couldn't, but then thought about going back to Degrassi and having to face Manny and Ashley everyday, not to mention their friends, and the guilt all of that would bring.
"Well, I'll definately have to think about it," Craig said. "But, if you wanted to start changing your guestroom into a bedroom, I wouldn't think that such a bad idea." They both smiled. A fresh start.