Hey y'all, remember this story?
Okay, alright, I'll admit it. Writing that multi-chaptered epilogue-y thing to "In love with the moonlight" got me on a bit of an epilogue rampage. By tying up the loose ends for that fic, and in the process pretty much just writing a sequel, this little add-on to the story came to mind . I finished "Champagne Between Friends" ages ago, but I couldn't help but to think about writing a bit more for it a few weeks ago while I was on vacation, and during my flight home I began to formulate a rough storyline. I probably could have thought it through some more and stretched it out, making it into a chapter story, but I would hate to mess up the "Eggnog Between Friends," and "Champagne Between Friends," flow with an epilogue to a sequel. You know, like EBF, then CBF, then CBF2? No bueno. Does that make sense? I'm a little OCD about certain things, and this sort of stuff is one of them. So instead it is just a rather long (for me, at least) and kind of rushed account of the events that followed that night on the Nash porch five years later. I hope you enjoy...
Champagne Between (more than) Friends
Disclaimer: None of it is mine but the idea, and that's not worth much anyway.
A/N II: Oh yeah, and I don't have any idea how old Angie was last season, so I am just going to pull a number out of my ass and go with it...like lets say...ten. So five years late she would be fifteen, and if Craig and Ellie are roughly seventeen in January, then lets say they are twenty-two now. Okay, I'm done for real now. Enoy!
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Craig was nervous, and that was strange.
Of course, no one else on the plane could tell, because Craig Manning is nothing if not composed in almost every aspect of his life. Do not overlook my inclusion of the word almost here folks. Even if the other bored, sleepy travelers in coach did notice him, their gaze most likely was drawn by the rugged handsomeness that had only become more breathtakingly evident as he had aged, and not by his subtle anxiety. If they had sensed any unease though, it would most likely have been attributed to the usual flying jitters.
But I know my boyfriend better than that.
Few things manage to unnerve Craig Manning, and flying isn't one of them. His little sister Angie growing up, on the other hand, wearing make-up, getting boobs, and talking to boys, now that particular subject keeps him up at night. Which, naturally, keeps me awake as well, stealing away from the few hours of precious sleep I so truly deserve. It isn't uncommon for him to roll over at three a.m. and whisper a loud, "Elle, you awake?" repeatedly until he has succeeded in making me so. Upon my groggy stirring, he immediately commences his incessant questioning as a means for some insight into the teenaged female psyche, somehow forgetting that I wasn't quite your typical adolescent girl. He, however, was pretty much the standard horny teenaged guy, and his knowledge of their psyche has led to many an concerned conversation. However, I had actually enjoyed a goodnight's sleep for the past week, so that couldn't be what was stressing him out now.
Maybe it was the whole "going back home" thing. Joey and Angie had flown in to New York to eat Thanksgiving dinner at our cramped apartment back in November, and my parents had made the trek to spend Christmas in the states (opting to stay at a nearby hotel), so we were returning the favor by coming up for New Year's. But it's not like there was anything for him to be afraid of in Degrassi though, actually far from it. Since my fathers return from the military, my relationship with my parents had been going steadily uphill...though the distance between us might have had something to do with it. Situations were also pleasant on the Jeremiah home front, the burden of Craig's college tuition off of his stepfather's shoulders courtesy of the enormous estate of Albert Manning. It couldn't be that he was dreading running into any of our old classmates either, because as far as two university kids go, we were actually doing pretty well for ourselves. Sure I might have caused a few jaws to drop when I abruptly switched my major from journalism to social services my sophomore year, and hey, it was a bit unexpected that Craig up and decided he preferred things behind the microphone as opposed to in front of it, but still, we were happy. And after all, who really ends up with a career in the occupation they chose when they were eighteen, anyway? Isn't college all about finding yourself?
As a matter of fact, I was looking forward to seeing old Degrassi again. The last time we visited had been over two years ago, back when Angie had had her appendix removed. She had enjoyed milking every ounce of sympathy out of her big brother, and in turn he had loved fawning over her as he had so missed since we left for school. The trip had ended on a rather sour note though, since my father was none too please to discover the two of us had moved in together. But still, I kind of understood where Dad was coming from, the whole, "my baby girl and only child is living in sin" thing would have been hard for any parent to swallow really. And I think that after awhile my father saw our side of things too, because the whole situation was resolved via a few dozen phone calls, ending with a conversation between the two men in my life that I was not permitted to be in the room for. Craig hung up seeming happy though, so what in the world was bothering him now!
"Hey." I whispered, nudging him slightly with my elbow, though failing to tear his attention away from the window situated on his left. "Hey!" I said a little more fiercely, but he still did not seem to hear me. "HEY!" I finally all but yelled, jabbing him viciously in the ribs with a forcefully aimed elbow.
"OOOF" came his guttural reply, reluctantly tearing his gaze away from the clouds just beyond the glass and shifting in his seat to face me. "What was that for?" whined my dark-haired companion, rubbing his injured side a bit more melodramatically than I think was called for.
Ellie Nash, however, did not give him an explanation or an answer. I just smirked my sexiest smirk, gesturing alluringly with my eyes towards the direction of the airplane bathroom.
No response.
Wait...huh? I certainly wasn't expecting that.
Now thoroughly irritated, I gestured again, this time adding a jerk of my chin to the motion, and for good measure, prodding him with my elbow once more.
"God Ellie, stop elbowing me, would you!" he exclaimed, and with that he turned to face the window once more, still rubbing his damned side as though I had cracked a rib.
What...the...hell. Craig Manning turning down sex? Oh yeah, something definitely had to be up.
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Angie and Joey picked us up from the airport, my own parents busy setting up for the New Year's party they would be throwing tonight. Craig frowned in brotherly distaste at the amount of eyeliner rimming Angie's lids, but swallowed her up in a tight embrace regardless. He hugged Joey next, teasing the man good-naturedly about his short stature, and I wondered if I had been imagining his oddness on the plane. He certainly seemed his old self, a view only reinforced when he slung an arm around my waist and pulled me close after the four of us had finished exchanging greetings. Now this was the man I was used to.
After dropping off our bags at Joey's place (we figured it would be better to stay away from my father as far as sleeping arrangements were concerned), we headed over to the new house my parents had recently moved into. One without a once-burned kitchen and an bedroom abandoned by a long-gone daughter hadn't really enjoyed spending time inside its four walls in the first place. They were running all over the place, and though we did our best to help out, we didn't really have a clue as to where anything was and I am afraid we only ended up getting in the way. Finally though, when the hors d'oeuvres were prepared, the silverware shined, the glasses set out, and the champagne on ice, it looked like we were ready. It was then that Joey made for the door, explaining that he would be dropping off Angie at a friends for the night, but would be back in time to "rock 'n roll" with the rest of us. I expected Craig to grimace at his stepfather's pathetic terminology, but instead his face took on a different type of pained expression.
"What? You two are leaving?"
"Uh, yeah Craig. I don't think Ang would have much fun hanging out with us old folks all night."
"But...but you can't." He stumbled, obviously searching for some sort of reasoning to defend his plea. Oh yeah, the oddness was returning. "I mean, you can't take a fifteen year old to an unsupervised party on New Years. Drinking, drugs, sex, who knows what trouble she could get in to? Especially dressing like that!" He reasoned, throwing an agitated arm in the direction of his little sisters ensemble, which honestly, wasn't anything unexpected for her age.
"What the crap?" retorted Angie, "Who said anything about a party Craig? Pretty sure Dad is just going to drop me off at Sarah's to spend the night, with her parents present. He wouldn't let me go to Nick's party, even though-"
"Drop it Angela." Warned Joey, a look in his eyes saying all too plainly that the two of them had been through this discussion before.
"So if it's nothing special then why not just stay? I mean come on, its been years since I spent New Years with my whole family!"
True, yes, but strange how the subject had never really bothered him before. New Year's wasn't particularly a "family-oriented" sort of holiday in the first place.
"Well, I guess she can stay, if it means that much to you." mused Joey "But just why do you want us to be here so badly?"
It was done in an instant, the exchange between Craig and my father so brief that I wondered if I had imagined the two of them locking eyes for one sharp moment before looking away. But it had happened, though no one else seemed to have noticed it but me.
"No reason," Craig muttered, his gaze drifting about the room, "No particular reason at all."
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Surprisingly, the party was fun. Mom stayed sober, Angie seemed to enjoy herself despite being the youngest person there, and Joey and my Dad appeared to be engaged in an enthusiastic conversation, though as to the subject I have no clue. An even bigger surprise though, was that Marco managed to drop in unannounced, having flown in from Milan to spend the winter holidays with his family. Flabbergasted, I had no idea that my best friend was even in the country, much less in town, since during our last phone call he had alluded to not having the money for an international plane fare right now. I launched into him the moment I spotted his designer-clad form strutting its way across the room, and proceeded to berate him viscously for lying so deviously to his oldest and closest pal. He in turn threw his arms around me, exclaiming "I'm glad to see you too Elle!" with such a wide grin that I was given the impression he knew something I didn't. Craig suddenly materialized at my shoulder to greet him next, though from their casual embrace I got the feeling that he wasn't surprised in the least to see Marco show up in our home town thousands of miles away from the country he now resided in. Hmm...
From that point on the night flew by, and I can honestly, cheesily say that I was having an absolutely amazing time. Yes, I was back in Degrassi, and yes I was spending New Years Eve with my parents, but in any case, I was still having an amazing time. Back in High School, when all I wanted to do was get the hell out of this place and be done with everyone in it, I never thought I would find myself here. Twenty-two years old and completely content with my life, laughing sincerely with my mother, talking with my first boyfriend about his current boyfriend, and utterly in love with Craig Manning. Time certainly is a crazy thing.
Like how suddenly the time was a quarter until midnight and I hadn't even realized it!
Suddenly the crowd was abuzz with anticipation for the countdown, my boyfriend was nowhere to be found, and Marco had an incredibly irritating little smirk on his face. Ignoring my strange Italian friend, I scanned the crowd for a tall head of dark hair, finally spotting him standing over by the drink table with my parents and his family. Catching my eye, he smiled and motioned for us to head over, holding three flutes of champagne above him in the skilled manner a broke college kid acquires after waiting on way too many tables and carrying way too many drinks at one time. I couldn't help but smile, for no particular reason really, just at him, and grabbed Marco's arm to head over towards everyone.
"Where did you scamper off to Mr. Manning?" I called over to him as we neared, "You had me worried I wasn't going to have anyone to kiss at midnight!"
"Oh don't exaggerate Ellie, of course you would have had someone. Marco is right beside you silly girl!"
"Ahh yes, I forgot about that. Okay, run away again now, I don't really need you after all."
Yeah Craig, I mean, it's nothing I haven't done before anyway." Marco replied, cocking an eyebrow and snaking an arm around my waist.
"Uh, no. Back off my woman, now dude." Craig said with a grin, replacing Marco at my side and setting the flutes in our hands.
"See Dad, you're letting Craig drink! It's not fair!" whimpered Angie, pointing a finger at the drink her brother held.
"Fair? He's twenty-two and you are fifteen Angela, fair doesn't really have anything to do with it. You'd better think of another argument, because there really isn't much credibility in that one."
She grimaced and made a face to continue her plight, but was cut off by someone bellowing a deep "TEN!" at the top of their lungs to signal the countdown. Quickly everyone else followed suite, including our little group. Looking around me as I shouted with the crowd, I took in the faces of pouting Angie, determined Joey, clear-headed Mom, tipsy Dad, expectant(?) Marco, and finally, Craig. My Craig, smiling as if his face would break but still looking strangely tense and even more strangely fearful. But I was too happy to really worry much about that, because this was nice, all of us being here together, it was just so...nice.
"...TWO...ONE! HAPPY NEW YEAR!" came the cry erupting from the room around me, and I raised my glass in a toast with the people who had come to mean so much to me. Bringing the flute to my lips, I opened my mouth to take a sip...and felt a distinct metallic "CLICK" against my teeth.
Furrowing my brow in confusion, I held the flute up to the light and gazed through the remaining liquid in an attempt to identify the foreign object. And then, lying in the bottom of the glass, I saw it. A thin silver band, ornamented by a single, small diamond bauble.
Breathless, my eyes shot upward, instantly seeking Craig's and locking into his gaze. Had I been able to see anything but this beautiful boy before me, I would have noticed Marco, and the fact that he had his own empty flute clutched in both hands against his heart and was all but jumping up and down as he stared at us. I would have seen Joey, finally giving in to his daughter and letting her sip his champagne before turning his attention perplexedly to us. I would have seen my parents, the proud, knowing way in which my Father was smiling at me, and the happy gasp my mother emitted as she brought a hand up to her mouth. I might have even noticed now quiet the once thunderous room had grown, and how everyone's attention had shifted in my direction. I might have taken in all these sights if I had been looking elsewhere, but I wasn't. I was gaping openly at the boy, no, man, before me, and the full glass in his hand he hadn't thought to sip, and the tense muscles straining in his neck, and how he looked more terrified but at the same time more hopeful than I had ever seen him.
"Oh God." I whispered, tears rapidly collecting in the corners of my eyes.
"Oh God what?" he whispered back, placing his drink on the table beside us without breaking eye contact.
"Oh God YES!" I sobbed, smiling so big my cheeks would have hurt if I had been thinking clearly enough to notice them, "Oh God YES, YES, YES!"
Immediately he crossed the short distance between us, retrieving the utterly perfect wedding ring from my glass and slipping it on my finger, holding my left hand carefully and bending to kiss the knuckles lightly. His hands slipped away from my own and glided up my shoulders before finally coming to rest on either side of my face, thumbs wiping the happiest tears I have ever cried away from my cheeks.
"I'm so glad you came flying out of a tree wearing Paige Michaelchuck's dress and flashed me five years ago Smelly." He said in a voice barely audible, but with that Manning sheen in his eyes.
"Me too." I whispered back with a smile, tilting my chin up to capture his lips in a kiss and dropping the almost-empty flute carelessly and letting it shatter against the ground now that it had been relieved of its precious content.
"Wow," I vaguely heard Angie whisper in the background, "Now THAT'S a kiss for a New Year."
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AHH! I'm such a dork that I am all giggly over my own story! I want to get engaged! And I want it to be New Years! And I want to know what you all thought about this strange little scenario I have concocted! Okay, so that's the end, really and truly this time ! Good God Kelly, enough with the exclamation points!