Thanks all you guys for the reviews: Kumiko Katawa, DoubleKK, Shippostail, Awesome Rapidash and kelly28! Thanks alot guys, much appreciated:)


26. The green-eyed monster

Jack looked at his clock on the wall and sighed, only an hour until he had to get up for farm work and he hadn't slept a wink. He'd had a painful feeling in the pit of his stomach and an ache in his mind, so he just couldn't sleep. He rolled over for the thirtieth time that night and rested his aching head on his pillow. The ticking of his clock seemed to taunt him as he tried to salvage at least an hour's sleep.

He was filled with guilt, confusion, torment and nervousness. He just didn't know what was going to happen, he didn't know what he wanted to happen. But maybe he and Ann could have something, maybe become close. But then, what would he tell Karen. He could imagine her face if he told her that he'd kissed her best friend, man that was some kiss. It was nothing compared to how he'd felt kissing Karen, but then maybe he'd never feel that again. Maybe it would be better if Ann told her. He heard his alarm clock ring, an ache driving into his brain, and slammed his hand down on it.

"If I get through today, it will be a miracle." He told Happy, his always deliriously happy dog.

"Woof?" Happy asked in confusion. Jack laughed and patted his faithful companions head.

"Yeah." He told his dog, adding to the canine's confusion due to his lack of understanding of the English language. Yawning, Jack wolfed down his breakfast, a random jar of jam he'd found in the depths of the fridge before changing into his farm overalls. He knew immediately stepping into the rainy summer day, it would be a tough one.

Ann pulled on her overalls and glared at her reflection in the mirror, her hair pulled into its usual plait. She had put on some eyeliner and lip gloss just to make a good impression. She then scowled, it wouldn't be so much a good impression as an "I'm desperate" impression. She heard a knock on the door and went to open it, silently cursing whoever it would be. It was Cliff, as if he hadn't caused her enough aggravation.

"Hey, erm, Ann I was on my way to work and I came to… talk. Do you love Jack?" He asked quickly. She rolled her eyes and made a face.

"Is that any of your business?" She asked calmly. He frowned, resisting the temptation to shake her for the stupid question.

"Well since I'm still currently your boyfriend it'd be really nice to know." He said sarcastically. Ann walked to the door and brushed past him before turning back.

"Well let me solve that problem," she said, opening the door. "As of now, you're not my boyfriend."

Cliff watched helplessly as she walked out of the door, this was not going to be his day.

Ann walked onto the farm and found Jack again, he smiled to greet her and allowed her to follow him into the house. As soon as he turned around to ask her what was wrong her lips were crashed upon his. He ran his hand down her back, stroking her hair and returning the kiss with passion.

"Well I was going to ask where we were, so I guess that's my answer. No… Seriously Ann, what are we doing?" He asked, his eyes shining with confusion.

"I… really don't know. I mean, I know I like you, I know I have feelings for you. I told Cliff last night, that I would leave him if he didn't make up his mind soon and then this morning I kinda dumped him. So now we're not doing anything wrong…" She told him, before leaning down to kiss him again.

"What about Karen, this would kill her." He stated, leaning back away from Ann.

"But she has Rick, I mean I know it'll bug her, but had she paid attention to my problems I might have been able to fix them by now. You're not hers anymore, so… I'll tell her tonight. See how she reacts…" She said softly. Jack had to admit, they were good points.

"What if she tries to kill herself, because of us?" He demanded, his voice harsh. Ann shuddered at the thought, she couldn't have her best friends blood on her hands.

"Well, if she reacts badly, then we stop. If she's okay with it, then pour the champagne!" Ann said with a grin. Jack nodded and Ann leaned in for another kiss, which this time was returned eagerly.

Karen woke up and blinked, her night had been terrible. She had barely slept and now she could hear some noises coming from the kitchen. Reluctantly she swung herself out of bed and headed towards the sound. In front of her was a big spread of breakfast and Rick with oven gloves on. She groaned at his sickly sweetness.

"What did you do?" She moaned and watched with delight as his smile faded.

"Well I decided I haven't been appreciating you enough lately, so I made breakfast." He said happily. She returned his smile with a glare as he ushered her to sit down.

"I don't want you to appreciate me, I want you to leave me the hell alone." She said angrily, tipping her plate of breakfast into the bin and watching Rick's horror.

"I'll eat at the inn, toodles." She said smirking as Rick began to tidy away the spread he had worked so hard on. Karen frowned, there was a time that she would have actually cared how she had hurt Rick's feelings. But right now she was beyond guilt, she just didn't care. She didn't bother going to the inn for breakfast, after seeing Rick she'd kind of lost her appetite, besides she was in her pajamas and couldn't face even more public humiliation right now. So she headed to the one place that brought her most comfort, the farm.

Jack wasn't working out in the fields and his hoe was discarded at the side, she frowned, that was odd. She decided he'd probably be inside, eating breakfast or something, so she knocked on the door. There was no answer so she gently pushed it open as it was unlocked. The sight before her shocked and horrified her, her ex-boyfriend and one and only love was kissing her best friend. They were lying on the sofa, lips sealed together like glue. Karen felt her insides begin to burn, her eyes flashing with rage and jealousy. They both turned to see her, they both looked like deer caught in the headlights, caught red handed. She saw that Ann had opened her mouth to speak and she raised her hand to silence her.

"Don't okay, just don't." She said, tears streaming down her face as she ran out of the door. She didn't know where to go now, she couldn't go to her two favorite places, the inn and Jack's house, now they were places of the enemy. In fact she didn't feel like facing any of her friends right now, so she headed home. She found Rick crying over the ruined breakfast, and for the first time in ages she felt compassion.

"I'm so sorry Rick." She said, the tears still fresh in her eyes. He looked at her with sat eyes, studying her to see if she was being genuine.

"It's nothing. Just breakfast." He said softly with a weak smile. He cleared up the rest of the plates silently while Karen went to cry on the sofa. He didn't want to disturb her crying, he knew he'd only make things worse. But after he'd finished clearing up he decided to give it a chance, things couldn't get much worse between them. He gently rested his hand on her back and stroked it soothingly.

"Karen, what's wrong?" He asked gently. She looked up at him with hurt eyes, red and swollen with pain.

"It's nothing." She said trying to wipe her eyes. Rick slowly sat down next to her and cautiously pulled her into a hug and she let him.

"You wouldn't cry if it was nothing. I know you hate me, but you can tell me anything." He said gently and he meant it. Even if it was, I love Jack and I kissed him, he could take it. After hearing her hateful words for a long time now, he didn't care anymore and as she began to care less her words became more hateful.

"Anything?" She asked, her eyes big with pain. Rick took a deep breath and nodded, giving her a reassuring smile. Even when she hated him, and her eyes were filled with tears, she was beautiful.

"I saw Jack kissing Ann. It's complete betrayal Rick and I know you're gonna hate me for caring… but I still love him and Ann is my best friend." She told him frantically. He swallowed hard, he had known he wouldn't like it.

"I know you still love him and I know you hate me. But… Karen sweetheart, you can't expect him not to move on. I know you hate it but you're married to me, he can't just remain hopeful forever that you'll leave me." Rick said, trying to break it to her gently without making her hate him more. But he should have known that would be impossible.

"I hate you! She's my best friend, anyone but her!" She shouted before breaking into tears again.

"I know this is besides the point but… I thought she was with Cliff." Rick said. Karen nodded, she had thought the same thing.

"Me too, but Ann said she had been having issues, I guess those were them." She said softly.

"Ann's been having love issues too?" Rick asked sadly. Karen gave him a sarcastic smile.

"We haven't had love issues, we've had hate issues. But I never gave her a chance to tell me her problems, I was so wrapped up in my own." She said guiltily. Rick stroked her hair gently and sighed.

"She can't blame you Karen, you've had to deal with more than anyone should in the past years, and some of that was caused by me." He said before seeing Karen's face. "Fine most of it was caused by me. But come on, if Jack hadn't faked his own death none of this would have happened."

Karen raised her eyebrows. "He didn't fake his death, he got lost at sea…" she almost smiled at how farfetched that sounded. "And besides, don't tell me you're not even a little bit happy about how things turned out for you."

"Oh yeah, I'm ecstatic that my wife hates me and we're stuck in a crappy marriage." He snorted and Karen grinned.

"We're stupid." Karen said after a pause.

"No, just doomed." Rick said with a sigh. Karen nodded and then smiled gently.

"Why can't we always be like this? Why do I always have to hate you, and you always have to be annoying. Why can't we act like we are now?" She asked. Rick shrugged and kissed her gently on the head. He was glad that they weren't arguing for once.

"It just doesn't last. I love you though." He assured her gently. She looked into his grey eyes and saw the truth behind his words.

"Why?" She asked. She really wanted to know how he could love her after she treated him so badly.

"Because I love who you are. I don't love you for how you treat me, I love you for everything you are. That's what everyone loves you for, hell if they loved you for how you treated them you wouldn't have any friends." He joked. She gave him a grin for his efforts and slapped him on the knee.

"Hey I treat my friends well." She argued indignantly.

"Sure you do, because you were just telling me about how you listened to Ann all the time." He said sarcastically. She frowned, he was right. She shuddered at the image of walking in on them and she wanted Jack to feel the pain she had. Slowly she leaned over and kissed Rick passionately, shocking him completely. Rick pulled away for a second and then looked her in the eyes.

"You're just doing this to get back at Jack, aren't you?" He asked.

"Pretty much." Karen told him calmly before kissing him again.

Ann paced around Jack's farmhouse nervously, repeating "oh god, oh god, oh god" over and over again.

"Ann, you're making me dizzy." Jack complained from the sofa he sat on. She turned and looked at him with worried azure eyes.

"Sorry, but she wasn't supposed to find out like that. We were supposed to ask her if she was okay with it, but she won't be now!"

"No. You're right." He admitted. "Okay, how about this, how about we ask her to come to the inn tonight and we'll talk it all through."

"Yeah, good idea. Why don't we just go to hers and Rick's tonight to talk ,rather than scare away the customers?" Ann suggested.

"Because with witnesses they can't kill us? Okay fine, we'll go to theirs." Jack agreed. Ann nodded with satisfaction then pulled Jack into another heated kiss.

Karen woke up to a knocking on the door, she groaned and sat up. She felt Rick next to her and groaned again, she felt so unclean.

"Rick wake up and get dressed. Someone's at the door." She told him sharply. She then slipped into a rope and headed down to the door. There stood Ann and Jack, both looking nervous.

"Get out. I don't want to talk to you." She said, trying to slam the door in their faces.

"Well Karen we need to talk." Ann said pushing her way into the house. Karen shrugged angrily. Rick chose that moment to arrive from upstairs in his robe and Karen mentally slapped herself.

"Oh my god, you didn't?" Ann asked with shock. Rick nodded smugly and Jack gasped.

"Oh what, so Karen this is your revenge, are you trying to get me back?" Jack demanded.

"Pretty much," Karen said with a shrug. Ann placed a hand on Jack's shoulder to calm him down and stared at Karen purposefully.

"Right, well I came here to talk to you. Karen, you and I will talk upstairs, boys you can do what you want." Ann ordered.

"Yeah, but try not to get blood on the carpet, it stains." Karen said dismissively.

Upstairs Ann and Karen sat on the bed eyeing each other with anger and guilt. After a few moments of silence, Ann spoke.

"I'll start then shall I? Look, I'm so sorry you found out that way, I mean he was comforting me before and it just sort of happened. I mean we had been together twice before and we still wanted to be sure it was something before we told you. I wanted to tell you and ask if it was okay, but…" She finished off, while Karen continued to glare at her.

"You just decided to stab me in that back. I will never be okay with this." She told Ann stubbornly, who shivered at Karen's words. "So as long as you guys are together, you're not my friend. Is that clear? This is an ultimatum, him or me."

Her words left Ann speechless for a while, thinking.

"Fine then," Ann said giving up. "I pick him, because he never gave me an ultimatum."

Meanwhile the guys were circling each other downstairs, spitting angry words at each other.

"You've really done it now Jack Sprat, I mean she hates me but it's nothing compared to how much she's gonna hate you." Rick said smirking.

"Yeah, you're right, you win, you get the girl. But she'll always hate you and deep inside she'll always love me." Jack said angrily. "You don't deserve her."

"I know. But you're right, I win. So you decide to have anything that comes your way, even though Ann has a boyfriend. You're just out to ruin this town, aren't you?" He spat back. Jack was just about to aim a punch at his face when Ann and Karen appeared downstairs.

"It's done, let's go Jack." Ann said coldly.

"Did Karen say it was okay?" He asked innocently.

"No, but I don't need to worry about hurting my friend anymore. Goodbye Karen, I won't be seeing you anymore." Ann said bitterly. Karen nodded, she'd lost everything in one night, and all she had left was Rick and maybe Popuri. Jack watched his love as he was pulled out of the house, it hurt so much to see her like that. Karen sat, lost and alone on her bed, the burning tears trickling down her skin. She felt unclean and sick. She hated Rick and she'd slept with him to get back at Jack and now she was completely alone.

Weeks passed after the incident and Karen and Ann remained true to their words, neither spoke to the other. Popuri kept out of it, avoiding both if possible. Jack tried to talk to Karen but she only ignored him. Rick was smug as ever but was feeling Karen's pain in her hatred towards him. Cliff was feeling just as alone as Karen, with his light taken away from him and he knew he had to get her back. It was coming up to the fireworks festival and Karen began to feel depressed with the knowledge that Jack and Ann would be going together.

"I mean it's not as if I still love Jack…" Karen protested, continuing the long speech she had been making for an hour.

"Hmmm," Popuri said boredly, plaiting a strand of her bright pink hair.

"But I mean Ann should know that she can't have him because I'm still in love with him and friends don't do that…" Karen continued, talking more to herself than Popuri.

"Uh… but you just said…" Popuri began in confusion.

"So she really should just go back to Cliff, I mean it's hurting him too." Karen continued, ignoring Popuri completely. Popuri sighed and decided to change the subject.

"So… who are you going to the fireworks festival with tomorrow?" Popuri asked. Karen sighed deeply and fixed an angry look onto her pale features.

"Rick… isn't it obvious, I get to spend firework night with my darling husband." She said sarcastically. "And Ann will spend it with Jack, then they'll get married and have the fat grandchildren and I'll still be stuck with Rick."

"Erm… okay, well… I've got to go and see Kai… so, bye." Popuri said awkwardly. Karen let out a groan, once again she was left all by herself.

Ann and Jack sat facing each other, both stripped down to their underwear, panting heavily. Ann leaned over to kiss Jack once again but he looked into her deep blue eyes and smiled sheepishly.

"Are you sure you wanna do this Ann?" He asked awkwardly. Ann chuckled, not in a condescending way but more to tell him how cute he was being.

"Jack, if you're like that with every girl, it's no wonder you and Karen never slept together. We're not getting married." She said softly. Jack smiled, he was really starting to love Ann in the short weeks they had been together and soon it would blossom into full-fledged love if they let it. "So why not?" he wondered to himself. Maybe it was because every time he had thought about it, he had also thought about how much it might hurt Karen.

"Okay then…" He said nervously. Ann had to resist telling him how cute he was when he was insecure.

"Okay." She said softly, leaning back down into a deep kiss. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him onto the bed, kissing him gently.

Jack and Ann woke up the morning of the fireworks festival side by side, laid on Jack's double bed in his cozy farmhouse. Ann snuggled up close to him and nuzzled his neck, as he stroked her hair gently.

"See, not married. It wasn't so bad was it?" Ann asked, trying to hide her insecurity. She was worried now that she'd pressures him into it, she knew that inside he truly only loved Karen. She didn't know whether he'd ever truly be hers, not with Karen there. But then again, she wondered if they wanted to have a big relationship, or maybe it was just a rebound relationship.

"No, not so bad…." He said softly, and she let a small giggle escape from her lips.

"Fireworks tonight, should be fun…" Ann said, running kisses from his neck down along his collarbone.

"That's tonight? Oh god Ann, I'm so sorry, but that's the night before my parents are leaving and I promised I'd have dinner with them." He said apologetically. Ann frowned and sat up.

"Well… that's okay, this way you have to make it up to me…" She said with a secretive smile. He grinned and kissed her gently on the lips.

"Yeah I guess I will." He said before slipping out of bed to change.

Karen groaned as she gazed at her reflection in the mirror, nothing she had done seemed to make her hair look right. She'd tied it up, curled it, straightened it, left it the same and even tried using some of Rick's gel in it, yet it still was untamable. She wanted to make Jack regret the decision he had made that fateful night a few weeks ago. But she knew it was unlikely that he would, it didn't matter how gorgeous she looked, he couldn't have her. Sighing she applied some makeup, a mask that might hide some of the pain in her features. She then made her way down with Rick to the beach.

Part of the thing Karen loved most about Firework night was the atmosphere, everyone managed to be calm and peaceful yet excited and loud at the same time. They all eagerly anticipated the fireworks while they ate the snacks they bought from Kai on the beach. For all the couples it was a romantic evening, yet for those alone it was a time of dreaming and hoping for better things. Down at the beach she spotted Ann alone and smirked, it was too good an opportunity to pass up.

"What's wrong Ann, did your boyfriend realize he could do better?" She sneered spitefully. She gasped at herself, she had no idea all that cruelty lay within her.

"No," Ann said sadly. "He couldn't come, he had dinner with his parents."

"Shame," Karen said boredly and hurried over to sit next to Rick. Ann sighed and watched her, when had Karen learnt how to be so spiteful? She gazed out over the black ocean and waited for the coloured orbs of light to brighten up the ink black sky. She felt a hand on her back and turned round with a hopeful expression on her face. It faded when she saw Cliff.

"What do you want Cliff? I thought you were ignoring me." She said coolly. Cliff shook his head quickly, his shock of brown hair dancing around.

"No, I need to… ask you something important… now I know it's a bad time…" He began nervously.

"Oh God," Ann snorted. "You're not going to propose are you?" Her sarcastic expression faded when Cliff nodded.

"Oh god you are…" She said softly as Cliff produced the blue feather.

"I think I know the answer, but Ann Green, will you marry me?" He asked, a look of bright hope on his face. Ann swallowed hard and gasped. She still loved Cliff, a part of her always would, but now she had developing feelings for Jack, could she throw that all away?

"Why?" She asked softly.

"Because I realized that I didn't want to lose you. I mean, I didn't think we were ready but when I lost you I realized that I couldn't live without you, and I was ready." He told her, a calm smile on his face. He looked so calm telling her this, that was what she loved about him, he was so open with his feelings towards her. He was a shy man but when he really loved someone, he was completely honest with them.

"Oh gosh, Cliff, I don't know. I love you and before I so would have said yes, but now… I need to think about it." She said gently. A look of pain flashed across his face but he nodded, pocketing the blue feather.

"That's a bummer. Tell me when you make up your mind." He told her before disappearing into the shadows. Ann nodded gently and looked with tear filled eyes up at the fireworks that were about to start. She swallowed hard and looked up at the coloured lights dancing in the sky, blurred by her tears. She had a huge dilemma on her hands and she needed a friend to talk to. But right now, her only friend was Popuri and she always seemed busy with other happy couples nowadays. She would spend most of her time with Elli and Mary talking about married life. Karen had never done that, but she didn't exactly have a normal married life, not like the others. Ann sighed, the only friend that she had to talk to hated her guts right now, with good reason. If she was going to get her friend back she was going to have to sort things out, fast.


Oooh well isn't there a twist... Who will Ann choose?