Title: One Year Anniversary

Author: Stress

First written: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

Edited and replaced: August 9, 2005

Summary: Part III of the Soul Mates Series; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

In Newsies Square

As Spot strolled up to where his girlfriend was, he could see her making annoyed faces at Martini and Blink, who were laughing and talking quietly to one another.

"Spot! Ya made it!" Stripes cried as she jumped on top of him. "Finally, I got someone sane to talk to."

"I wish that I could say the same. I'm just kidding Stripes," he added quickly as he noticed her rolling up her sleeves. She was the only girl that he was afraid of and she knew it. Trying to diffuse her temper he grabbed her close and gave her a hot, passionate kiss. When they finally broke apart she stammered, "What was that for?"

"Well, I only gets to see ya every other weekend. I gotta make sure that you don't forget me and fall for one of these Manhattan lugs."

Stripes giggled and snuggled closer to Spot. "Don't you worry about me, Conlon. Ya know that I'm a Brooklyn girl at heart."

Martini, finally remembering why they were all gathered around the Horace Greeley statue, spoke up, interrupting Spot and Stripe's cozy moment. "Ya see, Spot, that's kinda why we're here. One of our girls did fall for one of those lugs and we aim to get them together."

"Let me guess. Would this be the never-ending saga of mistress Stress and her lonesome, but not no longer, Cowb-- oof." He stopped in the middle of his sarcastic remark when Stripes elbowed him in the stomach.

"Cheese it, Conlon. Ya promised that you was gonna help me and Martini with Operation 'Happily-Ever-After'. Now, do I hafta remind you why ya said you'd help us?" she asked coyly and laughed when he nodded. She grabbed his tiny waist and dipped him back as she planted a big old kiss on his lips.

"O.K., O.K., I'll help. What do ya need me to do?"

"That's me boy. Now, me and Martini already have the beginning of the plan all worked out. You two gotta go talk to Jack about Stress and Sarah. We gotta find out which one he really prefers. Then if it's Stress, like it should be, we're gonna continue with the plan. And if it's Sarah, then we're gonna continue with the plan, anyways. We know who he's gonna be better with!"

"Yeah, our friend," added Martini.

Spot and Blink looked at each other, then to their respective girlfriends, then to each other again and shrugged. "I never liked Sarah anyways," said Blink.

Walking to the Jacobs's apartment

"Oh, Dave. You're so witty," laughed Stress as she listened to David tell her the story of how he had stood up to Jack the first day that they had met. It was just the two of them now. After an hour of following the couple around, Grace couldn't handle it anymore and set off to explore Manhattan by herself.

David blushed for about the thirtieth time that afternoon. The sound of her laughter was music to his ears. He still couldn't believe that this beautiful girl had chosen to spend the day with him over Jack. And Jack was supposed to be her best friend. Hardly daring to believe his luck so far, David decided to bite the bullet and invite her over for supper.

"Ya know Stress, if ya wanna, I mean ya don't hafta, but if ya like, ya can come over to me house for supper tonight."

"I'd love to," she said smiling graciously, as she slipped her hand into David's, all the while praying that Jack wouldn't be there with Sarah. No matter what she said or how she acted, she was crushed. Stress had never expected Jack to have a girlfriend when she came back from Queens. That thought had never crossed her mind once. Trying to push the depressing the thoughts out of her head, she turned her head a bit and looked sideways at David. He was here now and she knew that he honestly liked her; he wasn't playing any games with her, which was more than she could say at that moment. He was cute, sweet, a gentleman, and he paid attention to her, treating her like a queen. And the funny part is that she had only known him for one day. "Ya know what, this might just work. I could get used to someone actually liking me and not wanting anything back in return. I think I could learn to like David just fine." Looking at David again, she sighed.

David heard her sigh and gripped her hand tighter as they approached the Jacobs's apartment. "Well, here we are," David announced as he held the door open for Stress. As they entered, two people who could only be David's parents, looked up at David questioningly. He had never brought home a girl before.

David noticed the awkward silence and quickly began to make introductions. "Mama, Papa this is me new friend, Stress. She's gonna stay with us for supper, O.K.?"

"Sure David. Your sister has already invited Jack over to stay, so what's one more? Esther, why don't you add a little more water to the soup?" the older man, with his arm in a sling, said to his wife as he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Mayer! Didn't we discuss this last time. The kids don't want you embarrassing them in front of their boyfriends and girlfriends," David's mother admonished as she walked into the kitchen with his father.

David began to blush when he heard his mother call Stress his girlfriend. He turned to see what her expression was. He sighed in relief when he saw that she was smiling at him instead of being appalled at the very idea.

Stress may have been smiling on the outside but on the inside she was groaning. She didn't mind being called David's girlfriend because that's just who she intended to be. No, it was what David's father had said. Your sister has already invited Jack to stay…So Jack was there with Sarah. Great, just great. Instead of getting all worked up over his presence she decided just to ignore him and focus on her new boyfriend instead. With a firm resolve she followed David to the kitchen table and sat in the seat right next him, pointedly avoiding Jack's gaze.

Since Esther and Mayer were still preparing dinner it was just the four of them at the table: Jack, Sarah, Stress and David. David realized that after spending the entire day with Stress he barely knew anything about her. She had let him talk about himself all day. He grimaced as he thought -- "She must think that I'm stuck on myself." Since nobody else was talking at the table anyway, David decided to start asking Stress some basic questions about her.

"So, Stress, how long have ya known Jack?" he asked lightly. Upon hearing his name Jack looked up to see what her response would be. He was betting it would probably not be too good.

Stress tensed as her green eyes suddenly flashed yellow. "Long enough" was her curt response. Jack quickly looked away.

David knew that that was the wrong subject to bring up though he didn't know why. Stunned by her reaction, he tried a different approach. "Umm... okay, did you have fun in Queens?"

Again he had said precisely the wrong thing. "Well, if ya call burying the two people that raised ya for seven years fun, then, yeah I had tons of fun." Sarah tittered at Stress's answer to her brother's question. She stopped suddenly when she saw the serious expression on Jack's face.

David, on the other hand, was mortified. He couldn't believe that every time he tried to talk to Stress he put his foot right into his mouth.

Stress, noticing his embarrassment, left her seat at the table and cozied up right next to David. "Oh, Dave. I'm sorry. I just have had a bad couple of weeks. But I'm sure that someone will make me feel all better," she cooed, gently stroking his cheek. "It should've been Jack making me feel better," she thought to herself, not being able to control the thought, "instead of adding to all of me troubles." Pushing that thought out of her mind she leaned over the table and, to the amazement of both Jack and Sarah, gave David a kiss right smack on the lips. When they finally pulled apart from one another David was beet red and Stress had a triumphant gleam in her eye as she sat back down into her seat. She looked over at Jack who was gaping at her. "Pass me a napkin, please, Cowboy."

"Cowboy again," Jack said to himself as he sat stunned in his seat, all of his thoughts whirring around inside his brain. His girl had just kissed his best friend, right in front of him! "Ah, but she ain't your girl. Sarah is. There's no need for you to be jealous about her kissing Dave when you're kissing Sarah," the little voice inside his head said. "Shut up," Jack whispered to the little voice.

"Excuse me Cowboy. What did you just say?" asked Stress, daring him to repeat himself.

"I said 'here's your napkin'," he grumbled as he threw one in her general direction. "C'mon Sarah, let's go," he added, getting up from the table. Sarah shot Stress a smug look as she rose from the table and clutched Jack's arm.

Jack looked up as Sarah's parents entered the room with a pot of soup. "Thank you for offering me supper Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs, but I just ain't hungry no more," he said as he shot David evil looks.

David saw the looks Jack kept giving him but didn't care. Not only had he gotten his first girlfriend, and a beauty at that, but he had also gotten his first real kiss -- all in the same day. He just couldn't help smiling.

The one thing that David didn't notice was the look that Stress was giving Sarah and Jack as they left the apartment. "Oh well. It's high time that I settled down anyways," she thought as she helped herself to some of the soup that Esther Jacobs offered her. She couldn't help feeling, though, that a little bit of her heart had just walked out the door with Sarah and Jack.