Disclaimer: I don't own Everwood, the town, or it's characters, I'm just a
college student.
Chapter 41 uses: "Gold to Me" by Ben Harper
Chapter 41: Gold To Me
"Now when we get home," Tommy said buckling his son in the car seat in the back, "your grandma will be there waiting,"
"And grandpa too?!" he asked excitedly.
"No, Grandpa had other things to take care of, son." If only Micah could understand on his own. If he were a little older it'd be a lot easier, but there was no way he could explain it to an almost three year old.
"Oh," he said sadly, "Amy?"
"Remember what I told you?"
"Amy is our fwiend," Micah said smiling.
"That's right," he said opening his car door and putting his key in the ignition. "We'll be back home in no time," as he pulled away from the hotel parking lot.
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"You look like gold to me
and I'm not too blind to see
you look like gold
you make me wanna sing
with all the joy you bring
you look like gold
like the rays down from the sun
when a new day has just begun
you look like gold"
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Ephram, Delia, Andy and Faith were gathered around the Christmas tree. They had waited to open presents with Ephram, and Delia was on her last strand of patience.
"Hey, I'm ten, Christmas is still exciting to me!" she said as she danced around. Ephram laughed,
"I'm not saying I'm not excited,"
"He's just waiting for Aaaammmmyyy to come back," Delia told her father.
"Oh, right," Andy said smiling at a blushing Ephram, "What time will she be here?"
"In about an hour," he said smiling, "Well, let's get going with presents then," he said changing the subject. They had been distributed out, and while Faith didn't have any, Ephram assured her that she'd given him the best present ever by letting him come home to his family.
"Delia can go first," Ephram said, as she was opening one of her gifts, "seeing as she already HAS," he teased. The not so perfectly wrapped blue gift was from Ephram. There was about a roll of tape holding the paper on, making it nearly impossible to work with.
"Hm, remind me to teach you a better technique later," Andy teased his son.
"Very funny," he said rolling his eyes, but smiling to show that he was only joking.
As she finally got all of the tape off, she unfolded a Colorado Rockies shirt. "This is great!" she said at first, "but I've been thinking . . . maybe I would start dressing more lady like . . . Amy and I have been talking . . ." she didn't want to seem ungrateful.
"That's why I got you a backup present," he said encouraging her to continue looking under the tissue paper in that box. Beneath the white layer was a baby blue sweater, quite like the one he bought for Amy in every way except for the color. Delia gasped at how much she liked it, "Ephram! You CAN pick out clothes!" she said hugging him, "It's awesome, thanks,"
"I figured I couldn't go wrong with one of each," he said smiling.
"Here's yours from me," she said handing him a much more nicely wrapped gift. As he removed the paper, he saw a picture frame that she had made and a picture of he and Amy in it," Ephram was surprised at her thoughtfulness. He was sure she'd have gotten him a CD or movie.
"Delia," he said smiling, "this is by far one of the best presents I've ever received," he said rubbing her head, all she did was smile. She felt older that day.
"Okay, presents from Dad now!" Delia said handing them out. They opened them happily and were very pleased with what they received. One of the things Andy had gotten Ephram was a book of tips on composing music,
"I know you probably know all of those things already," he said as his son paged through the book, "but I thought maybe it could help a little," Ephram closed the book and smiled,
"It's great, Dad, thanks," He said getting up and hugging him. Delia's favorite gift from her father was a curling iron. For being ten, she was certainly starting to feel grown up.
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"I've been fooled before
but now I know
I've made the mistake in the past
but now I know the difference
from gold and brass
not the kind of gold you wear
but the kind that can feel my care
you look like gold"
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It was nearing eight o'clock now and Ephram had excused himself to go change his clothes for Amy. He picked a charcoal sweater and khakis. Fixing his hair and spraying on a little cologne, he wondered what that night would hold. *Our OWN Christmas,* he could hear her voice in his head as if she was in the room with him at that moment. He smiled as he heard the doorbell ring.
On the other side of the door stood a very nicely dressed Amy. She wore a perfectly white, yet casual dress, and her hair was curled. When Ephram's hand immediately touched it, it bounced freely. He smiled,
"You look beautiful," he said taking her hand and leading her inside, "I've never seen your hair like that before,"
"Something new I thought I'd try. Luckily it sort of worked out," she said smiling and touching it herself now, "Did you have a nice Christmas with your family?"
"Yeah, it was hard without mom, even though it's been awhile, but it was still nice," he explained, "And yours?"
"Bright ate one too many pieces of Christmas cake so he was complaining the whole time we opened presents, but other than that it was pretty nice. My family didn't flip out about me being gone or anything. I think they're just glad I'm safe,"
"This will all end soon," he said, referring to the Callahan situation, "and we can finally get back to normal," he said kissing the tip of her nose, "whatever THAT is," he laughed.
"Things with you and I have never been normal, Ephram," he said smiling at him, "We've never really had a period of time when there was just you and I happy without someone else in the back of our minds. First there was Colin," she said for the first time without her voice shaking since his death; a great accomplishment, "And then Madison, and the Tommy,"
"Guess normalcy doesn't like us," he said taking her hand.
"I think it's more like we don't like normalcy," she said nodding and smiling, "besides, you're too caring of a person to disregard what's going on around you,"
"You're not so shabby yourself, little lady," he said winking as he lead her up to his room. She smiled and followed him up the stairs.
"Those kids are crazy in love," Faith said to Delia as they sat around the tree still, "I can tell," she paused, "I used to be that way with my husband,"
"Ephram's always loved Amy, ever since he first saw her," Delia responded looking at the stairs,
"It's taken them a long time to get where they are," Andy said as he reentered the room with mugs of hot chocolate for everyone, "I just hope they know what they're getting themselves into,"
"What do you mean by that?" Faith asked, sipping the drink slowly.
"I love my son, and I love Amy as a daughter, I really do. I just hope they can make responsible decisions. They're very young, and to be that much in love . . ."
"Thomas loved Abby that way," Faith interrupted without realizing it. She stared out the window as if she were looking for him, "I never agreed with what they did," she said, referring to sleeping together, "but I love that little boy that came from it," she smiled.
"Your son is a really nice young man," Andy said as he saw headlights pulling into the driveway, "I wish him the world,"
"And he'll get it," Faith said proudly, walking to the door and hugging her son and sleeping grandson with tears streaming down her face, "you're home. You're finally home," was all she kept saying.
Delia moved next to her father and leaned up against him, "I wish mom was here,"
"So do I, sweetheart, so do I," he said, tears filling in his eyes.
Ephram shut the door and Amy moved to look out the window. "Remember when I told you that Everwood has good snow?" she turned to him.
"Yes," he smiled, "that was one of the reasons I stayed here," he moved to wrap his arms around her small waist, "and one of the others was because of you," he leaned forward to kiss her right cheek. They were holding each other silently before Ephram spoke again, "have you ever made a Christmas wish?"
"No, I've never heard of that before," she spoke sweetly; she was interested.
"Neither had I, but Faith told me about it. I wished for this Christmas to be the last we spend apart," he closed his eyes, "but I guess we aren't apart after all,"
"Nope," she said hugging him again, "I want to give you something," she whispered in his ear.
She slid off her coat and placed it in the chair by his desk. "Amy," he blushed, "I thought we agreed to wait," his voice squeaked.
She threw a notebook she found on his desk at him, "Perv," she joked, "I wasn't talking about that," he laughed and put his hands up in surrender. "I was talking," she pulled a box out of her coat, "about this," she handed it to him.
He unwrapped it slowly and saw that it was silver ring. He slipped it out of the box and held it up to the light so he could see it better, "this is awesome, Amy," he said kissing her. She took it from him and slid it onto his left ring finger,
"I hope I'm not being to forward," she whispered as he held her in his arms, "but I want it to serve as a promise ring," she began to explain, "Not just for one promise, but for as many as we want,"
"Well I promise that I will love you and only you," he said touching her cheek, "And I promise, thought it will be hard, especially tonight, that I will wait for as long as you need," he whispered in his ear, referring to them sleeping together.
"About that," she began and his eyebrows rose in question. "I was wondering," she stopped and looked down again at his finger.
"Tell me," he said as he moved his hand to rest her head against his shoulder.
"I've decided I want to wait until I'm married," she said closing her eyes. She knew they were young; knew that making a promise like this would probably be one of the hardest things to keep as she grew older and more in love with a man like Ephram. She wondered how he'd take it; would be become upset but try to hide it? To her surprise he smiled and kissed her once,
"I think that's a very good decision," he nodded.
"So you aren't angry?" she asked nervously.
"Not at all," he reassured her, "besides, you look so pretty in that dress, why would I want you to take it off?" he smiled and winked.
"Oh Ephram, I love you," she threw her arms around him and pulled him more closely, "that means so much to me,"
"I love you too," he said smiling; "now it's time for you to open your present!" he hurried to his closet and pulled out the box. She unwrapped the once again less than becoming package and smiled as she pulled out the pink sweater,
"This is beautiful," she blushed, her face gathering so much blood that it was almost the exact tint of the sweater, "I'll think of you every time I wear it,"
"I'd hoped it was okay," he said relieved, even though he secretly had pretended he was certain. They laid down on his bed on top of the covers, so as not to make her recent promise so easy to break, and fell asleep to the Christmas music playing downstairs.
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"some shine when the day is new
but fade when the day is through
but you look like gold
I've been wrong before
but now I know
I've made mistakes in the past
but now I know the difference
from gold and brass"
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Tommy, Faith, and Micah were all smiling and laughing as Tommy told his mother of funny things the small boy had done since he'd last seen her. As Micah went to sleep, Tommy broke down in his mother's arms as he looked for strength and comfort to overcome his worry about what to do concerning his father.
"It's not that he doesn't love you," Faith said holding her son's head in her arms, "It's just that he doesn't know how to love someone in the normal way. I'm not making excuses for that man, not anymore, but he's never hated you, even if he says he does,"
"Well I'm sorry mom, but I hate him for what he's done," he told her seriously. All she did was hold onto him more tightly. "I want to leave Everwood," he continued as his gasps calmed down, "I have no reason to stay here anymore if you come with,"
"Not even Ephram and Amy? They've been so kind,"
"I've taken them for granted. I don't love Amy like that anymore, Mom, she's just a friend,"
"I know, she's told me,"
"You've talked with her?"
"Yes, she was a very sweet girl," she said smiling.
"Ephram's a great friend and an even better boyfriend to her, he deserves her. I understand that now. I'll find someone someday that can love me the way Amy loves Ephram, don't worry,"
"I know you will," Faith said as she took her last sip of hot chocolate, "now go to sleep, you've been through too much lately, you'll get worn down," she nudged him to go in the other room.
"Okay, mom," he said smiling, "It's nice to have someone telling me what to do again. I was beginning to realize I don't know everything there is to know about life," he said moving into the guest room upstairs.
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"you look like gold to me
and I'm down on bending knees
you look like gold
and I just want you to know
to me you mean so much more
than all the gold
you look like gold"
A/N: By the way everyone, no one get any funny ideas about Faith and Andy. They aren't going to be in a relationship, so no one get upset. I just wanted to put that in here in case this chapter suggested it in anyway. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Chapter 41 uses: "Gold to Me" by Ben Harper
Chapter 41: Gold To Me
"Now when we get home," Tommy said buckling his son in the car seat in the back, "your grandma will be there waiting,"
"And grandpa too?!" he asked excitedly.
"No, Grandpa had other things to take care of, son." If only Micah could understand on his own. If he were a little older it'd be a lot easier, but there was no way he could explain it to an almost three year old.
"Oh," he said sadly, "Amy?"
"Remember what I told you?"
"Amy is our fwiend," Micah said smiling.
"That's right," he said opening his car door and putting his key in the ignition. "We'll be back home in no time," as he pulled away from the hotel parking lot.
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` `````````````````````````````
"You look like gold to me
and I'm not too blind to see
you look like gold
you make me wanna sing
with all the joy you bring
you look like gold
like the rays down from the sun
when a new day has just begun
you look like gold"
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` `````````````````````````
Ephram, Delia, Andy and Faith were gathered around the Christmas tree. They had waited to open presents with Ephram, and Delia was on her last strand of patience.
"Hey, I'm ten, Christmas is still exciting to me!" she said as she danced around. Ephram laughed,
"I'm not saying I'm not excited,"
"He's just waiting for Aaaammmmyyy to come back," Delia told her father.
"Oh, right," Andy said smiling at a blushing Ephram, "What time will she be here?"
"In about an hour," he said smiling, "Well, let's get going with presents then," he said changing the subject. They had been distributed out, and while Faith didn't have any, Ephram assured her that she'd given him the best present ever by letting him come home to his family.
"Delia can go first," Ephram said, as she was opening one of her gifts, "seeing as she already HAS," he teased. The not so perfectly wrapped blue gift was from Ephram. There was about a roll of tape holding the paper on, making it nearly impossible to work with.
"Hm, remind me to teach you a better technique later," Andy teased his son.
"Very funny," he said rolling his eyes, but smiling to show that he was only joking.
As she finally got all of the tape off, she unfolded a Colorado Rockies shirt. "This is great!" she said at first, "but I've been thinking . . . maybe I would start dressing more lady like . . . Amy and I have been talking . . ." she didn't want to seem ungrateful.
"That's why I got you a backup present," he said encouraging her to continue looking under the tissue paper in that box. Beneath the white layer was a baby blue sweater, quite like the one he bought for Amy in every way except for the color. Delia gasped at how much she liked it, "Ephram! You CAN pick out clothes!" she said hugging him, "It's awesome, thanks,"
"I figured I couldn't go wrong with one of each," he said smiling.
"Here's yours from me," she said handing him a much more nicely wrapped gift. As he removed the paper, he saw a picture frame that she had made and a picture of he and Amy in it," Ephram was surprised at her thoughtfulness. He was sure she'd have gotten him a CD or movie.
"Delia," he said smiling, "this is by far one of the best presents I've ever received," he said rubbing her head, all she did was smile. She felt older that day.
"Okay, presents from Dad now!" Delia said handing them out. They opened them happily and were very pleased with what they received. One of the things Andy had gotten Ephram was a book of tips on composing music,
"I know you probably know all of those things already," he said as his son paged through the book, "but I thought maybe it could help a little," Ephram closed the book and smiled,
"It's great, Dad, thanks," He said getting up and hugging him. Delia's favorite gift from her father was a curling iron. For being ten, she was certainly starting to feel grown up.
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ````````````````````````````````
"I've been fooled before
but now I know
I've made the mistake in the past
but now I know the difference
from gold and brass
not the kind of gold you wear
but the kind that can feel my care
you look like gold"
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ```````````````````````````````
It was nearing eight o'clock now and Ephram had excused himself to go change his clothes for Amy. He picked a charcoal sweater and khakis. Fixing his hair and spraying on a little cologne, he wondered what that night would hold. *Our OWN Christmas,* he could hear her voice in his head as if she was in the room with him at that moment. He smiled as he heard the doorbell ring.
On the other side of the door stood a very nicely dressed Amy. She wore a perfectly white, yet casual dress, and her hair was curled. When Ephram's hand immediately touched it, it bounced freely. He smiled,
"You look beautiful," he said taking her hand and leading her inside, "I've never seen your hair like that before,"
"Something new I thought I'd try. Luckily it sort of worked out," she said smiling and touching it herself now, "Did you have a nice Christmas with your family?"
"Yeah, it was hard without mom, even though it's been awhile, but it was still nice," he explained, "And yours?"
"Bright ate one too many pieces of Christmas cake so he was complaining the whole time we opened presents, but other than that it was pretty nice. My family didn't flip out about me being gone or anything. I think they're just glad I'm safe,"
"This will all end soon," he said, referring to the Callahan situation, "and we can finally get back to normal," he said kissing the tip of her nose, "whatever THAT is," he laughed.
"Things with you and I have never been normal, Ephram," he said smiling at him, "We've never really had a period of time when there was just you and I happy without someone else in the back of our minds. First there was Colin," she said for the first time without her voice shaking since his death; a great accomplishment, "And then Madison, and the Tommy,"
"Guess normalcy doesn't like us," he said taking her hand.
"I think it's more like we don't like normalcy," she said nodding and smiling, "besides, you're too caring of a person to disregard what's going on around you,"
"You're not so shabby yourself, little lady," he said winking as he lead her up to his room. She smiled and followed him up the stairs.
"Those kids are crazy in love," Faith said to Delia as they sat around the tree still, "I can tell," she paused, "I used to be that way with my husband,"
"Ephram's always loved Amy, ever since he first saw her," Delia responded looking at the stairs,
"It's taken them a long time to get where they are," Andy said as he reentered the room with mugs of hot chocolate for everyone, "I just hope they know what they're getting themselves into,"
"What do you mean by that?" Faith asked, sipping the drink slowly.
"I love my son, and I love Amy as a daughter, I really do. I just hope they can make responsible decisions. They're very young, and to be that much in love . . ."
"Thomas loved Abby that way," Faith interrupted without realizing it. She stared out the window as if she were looking for him, "I never agreed with what they did," she said, referring to sleeping together, "but I love that little boy that came from it," she smiled.
"Your son is a really nice young man," Andy said as he saw headlights pulling into the driveway, "I wish him the world,"
"And he'll get it," Faith said proudly, walking to the door and hugging her son and sleeping grandson with tears streaming down her face, "you're home. You're finally home," was all she kept saying.
Delia moved next to her father and leaned up against him, "I wish mom was here,"
"So do I, sweetheart, so do I," he said, tears filling in his eyes.
Ephram shut the door and Amy moved to look out the window. "Remember when I told you that Everwood has good snow?" she turned to him.
"Yes," he smiled, "that was one of the reasons I stayed here," he moved to wrap his arms around her small waist, "and one of the others was because of you," he leaned forward to kiss her right cheek. They were holding each other silently before Ephram spoke again, "have you ever made a Christmas wish?"
"No, I've never heard of that before," she spoke sweetly; she was interested.
"Neither had I, but Faith told me about it. I wished for this Christmas to be the last we spend apart," he closed his eyes, "but I guess we aren't apart after all,"
"Nope," she said hugging him again, "I want to give you something," she whispered in his ear.
She slid off her coat and placed it in the chair by his desk. "Amy," he blushed, "I thought we agreed to wait," his voice squeaked.
She threw a notebook she found on his desk at him, "Perv," she joked, "I wasn't talking about that," he laughed and put his hands up in surrender. "I was talking," she pulled a box out of her coat, "about this," she handed it to him.
He unwrapped it slowly and saw that it was silver ring. He slipped it out of the box and held it up to the light so he could see it better, "this is awesome, Amy," he said kissing her. She took it from him and slid it onto his left ring finger,
"I hope I'm not being to forward," she whispered as he held her in his arms, "but I want it to serve as a promise ring," she began to explain, "Not just for one promise, but for as many as we want,"
"Well I promise that I will love you and only you," he said touching her cheek, "And I promise, thought it will be hard, especially tonight, that I will wait for as long as you need," he whispered in his ear, referring to them sleeping together.
"About that," she began and his eyebrows rose in question. "I was wondering," she stopped and looked down again at his finger.
"Tell me," he said as he moved his hand to rest her head against his shoulder.
"I've decided I want to wait until I'm married," she said closing her eyes. She knew they were young; knew that making a promise like this would probably be one of the hardest things to keep as she grew older and more in love with a man like Ephram. She wondered how he'd take it; would be become upset but try to hide it? To her surprise he smiled and kissed her once,
"I think that's a very good decision," he nodded.
"So you aren't angry?" she asked nervously.
"Not at all," he reassured her, "besides, you look so pretty in that dress, why would I want you to take it off?" he smiled and winked.
"Oh Ephram, I love you," she threw her arms around him and pulled him more closely, "that means so much to me,"
"I love you too," he said smiling; "now it's time for you to open your present!" he hurried to his closet and pulled out the box. She unwrapped the once again less than becoming package and smiled as she pulled out the pink sweater,
"This is beautiful," she blushed, her face gathering so much blood that it was almost the exact tint of the sweater, "I'll think of you every time I wear it,"
"I'd hoped it was okay," he said relieved, even though he secretly had pretended he was certain. They laid down on his bed on top of the covers, so as not to make her recent promise so easy to break, and fell asleep to the Christmas music playing downstairs.
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` `````````````````````````````
"some shine when the day is new
but fade when the day is through
but you look like gold
I've been wrong before
but now I know
I've made mistakes in the past
but now I know the difference
from gold and brass"
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` `````````````````````````````
Tommy, Faith, and Micah were all smiling and laughing as Tommy told his mother of funny things the small boy had done since he'd last seen her. As Micah went to sleep, Tommy broke down in his mother's arms as he looked for strength and comfort to overcome his worry about what to do concerning his father.
"It's not that he doesn't love you," Faith said holding her son's head in her arms, "It's just that he doesn't know how to love someone in the normal way. I'm not making excuses for that man, not anymore, but he's never hated you, even if he says he does,"
"Well I'm sorry mom, but I hate him for what he's done," he told her seriously. All she did was hold onto him more tightly. "I want to leave Everwood," he continued as his gasps calmed down, "I have no reason to stay here anymore if you come with,"
"Not even Ephram and Amy? They've been so kind,"
"I've taken them for granted. I don't love Amy like that anymore, Mom, she's just a friend,"
"I know, she's told me,"
"You've talked with her?"
"Yes, she was a very sweet girl," she said smiling.
"Ephram's a great friend and an even better boyfriend to her, he deserves her. I understand that now. I'll find someone someday that can love me the way Amy loves Ephram, don't worry,"
"I know you will," Faith said as she took her last sip of hot chocolate, "now go to sleep, you've been through too much lately, you'll get worn down," she nudged him to go in the other room.
"Okay, mom," he said smiling, "It's nice to have someone telling me what to do again. I was beginning to realize I don't know everything there is to know about life," he said moving into the guest room upstairs.
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ```````````````````````````````
"you look like gold to me
and I'm down on bending knees
you look like gold
and I just want you to know
to me you mean so much more
than all the gold
you look like gold"
A/N: By the way everyone, no one get any funny ideas about Faith and Andy. They aren't going to be in a relationship, so no one get upset. I just wanted to put that in here in case this chapter suggested it in anyway. Thanks for reading and reviewing!