Chapter 9 - Winter Is Upon Them
A/N: Everyone's colds are better! Okay, on with the story!
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"Hey Jackson, I just realized something." Melissa said. She was wearing her warmest sweatshirt, and was still cold.
"Yeah?"
"If we were at home, it would be a month until Christmas." She said.
"Oh." Jackson said, a slightly depressed look on his face.
"What's wrong? You don't celebrate Christmas?"
"I do, but the past couple years it hasn't been very cheerful."
"Why? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to though."
"Really?" He said, a stunned look on his face.
"What your business is none of mine, unless you want to tell me." She said simply.
"Thanks. But I will tell you. My mom died on Christmas Eve a couple years ago." He bit his lip.
"It's okay to cry." Melissa hugged him, and he hugged back. A silent tear rolled down his cheek.
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"Eric."
Snore.
"Eric!"
Snore.
"ERIC!"
"W-what!" Eric jumped, awakened from his nap by none other than Taylor.
"Help me!" She cried, thrusting two water containers into his hands.
"Jackson will be mad!" He said, trying to get himself out of helping her. She lunged forward and kissed him.
"Okay!" He jumped up and grabbed the containers.
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Daley heard a rustle. She whirled in that direction. The bushes rustled again. Just then Nathan walked up.
"Nathan, there's something in the bushes! Get it!" Daley exclaimed, hiding behind him.
He laughed, and took a long stick and poked the bushes. "See, there's nothing there!" The branches rustled again. "I take that back!" He grabbed her hand and started running to camp.
When they reached the fire (Melissa and Jackson were fishing), they sat down on a log, out of breath.
"Well, that's the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to me!" Daley said.
"I promise I won't tell." Nathan said, and they both laughed. Then kissed. Then Lex walked up with a pile of wood. He threw down the firewood and ran off crying.
Nathan and Daley whirled around just in time to see him running in the direction of the plane.
Daley sighed and ran after him.
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"Look at all the fish we got!" Melissa smiled. "I never knew I could fish!"
"Well, there's a first time for everything!" Jackson said, and they both laughed.
"Now I'm really cold, I'll be right back. I need to change into some dry clothes."
"Same here." He said, and they headed toward the tents.
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"Done!" Taylor said as she dropped the last of the water jugs.
"Finally!" Eric said, out of breath.
"Oh, you baby!" Taylor said, and he lunged at her. She ran away, screaming and laughing.
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"Lex, what's the matter?" Daley said.
"I-uh-I don't trust Nathan is all." He said.
"I'm your sister, I know when your lying." Daley looked at him questioningly.
"I don't want you to spend all your time with Nathan!" He burst.
"Lex, that's crazy! I'll always have time for you!"
"That's what Mom said! And now, she never has any time! Why do you think I read so much!" Daley looked taken aback.
"Have I ever made a promise I couldn't keep?" She asked him.
"No…"
"Then I promise I'll spend time with you AND Nathan."
They smiled and hugged.
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They all met at the fire for lunch. Melissa and Jackson got there first, and started cleaning the fish. Eric and Taylor came next, laughing. Nathan then wandered over and helped with the fish. Then Daley, with her arm around Lex's shoulders, walked up. Just then Melissa and Jackson handed out fish and fruit.
"Dig in!" Melissa said cheerfully.
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"I'm stuffed." Daley said. They all nodded in agreement.
"I'm cold." Taylor whined. Jackson glanced at the fire.
"Oops." He set to work building it back up. It had died down. Melissa helped him add more pieces of wood to the fire.
"Well, I'll be going now." Lex said, and stood up and walked in the direction of the plane.
"Where are you going?" Daley asked.
"I've... got something to work on up at the plane." He said, not giving her a definite answer.
"Okay…" and he was gone.
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After dinner, Daley and Nathan and Taylor and Eric were chatting around the fire. Melissa was sitting on the sand near the water, but not too close that she would get wet, and reading a book. Jackson plopped down next to her.
"Hey." She said, not taking her eyes off the page.
"Whatcha reading?" He said.
She put in a bookmark, and closed the book.
"A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L'Engle. But I'm not really taking any of it in."
"Why not?"
"I dunno. I just wonder what I would do if my mom or dad got lost. Or died. I don't know if I could handle it." She said thoughtfully.
"It's no piece of cake, I can tell you that." He said.
"What do you think our parents are doing about us being missing?"
"I'm sure their looking for us." He reassured her, and put an arm around her shoulders, and she leaned over and put her head on his shoulder. He smiled.
"I wish the stars were this pretty at home." She gazed up at them.
"Me too."
"Maybe being stuck here isn't such a bad thing. I mean, not much bad has come from it. But our parents are probably frantic."
Before he could reply, the opening notes of Sara Paxton's 'Can You Feel The Love Tonight' crossed over the beach. Everyone looked in that direction.
"What is that?" Nathan said, not asking anyone in particular.
"Let's find out." Jackson said. He got up, and pulled Melissa to her feet as well. They all headed in the direction of the plane, where the music was coming from. When they got there, they found Lex sitting in front of the radio with an MP3 Player in his hand. He had put up the parachute again, and had the candles out. He had decorated with tropical flowers.
"Lex, did you put this together?" Daley asked, smiling.
"Yep." He smiled back. She hugged him. Then she and Melissa looked at each other, nodded, and grabbed Nathan and Jackson's hands and pulled them on the makeshift dance floor.
"Hey wait, I never agreed to this!" Jackson exclaimed.
"Dude, we're being forced against our will!" Nathan said. The girls knew they were just playing.
"I'm not going to be a wallflower!" Taylor said, and pulled Eric onto the dance floor.
There's a calm surrender,
To the rush of day,
When the heat of the rolling world,
Can be turned away,
An enchanted moment,
And it sees me through,
It's enough for this restless warrior,
Just to be with you,
And can you feel the love tonight?
It is where we are,
It's enough for this wide-eyed wanderer,
That we got this far,
And can you feel the love tonight?
How it's laid to rest,
It's enough to make kings and vagabonds,
Believe the very best.
There's a time for everyone,
If they only learn,
That the twisting kaleidoscope,
Moves us all in turn,
There's a rhyme and reason,
To the wild outdoors,
When the heart of this star-crossed voyager,
Beats in time with yours.
And can you feel the love tonight?
It is where we are,
It's enough for this wide-eyed wanderer, That we got this far,
And can you feel the love tonight?
How it's laid to rest,
It's enough to make kings and vagabonds,
Believe the very best.
It's enough to make kings and vagabonds,
Believe the very best.
Lex turned on a slow song.
"Hey, I'm not stepping on your toes this time!" Jackson smiled, then Melissa flinched. "I spoke too soon." He shook his head.
"It's okay. At least I have shoes on this time." She laughed quietly. "I taught my little sister, Cassie, to dance. I had her stand on my feet, while I showed her how. That was a fun afternoon." She smiled at the memory.
"Well, why don't you stand on my feet? That way I won't step on yours." She put her feet on top of his, and they went back to dancing. She lost her balance, and started to fall. He caught her.
"I got you."
"I know." And they shared a smile.
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A/N: Are all you Nathan Daley fans happy? This is mainly a Jackson Melissa story ya know! Guess what I was listening to while writing this! I absolutely love that song! Hehe, it's a good song for our favorite crash suvivors... Also, on Melissa's conversation with Jackson about her parents beings lost or dead, in A Wrinkle In Time, Meg's father has been missing for 5 years I think, and she and her friend Calvin and her brother go look for him. Anyways, I'll update faster if I get lots and lots of reviews!