Summary: "She's pulled a lot of crap, she tells him, and he knows it better than most." Jimmy-x-Ashley. Post-Holiday. Running with the idea, that, apparently, nothing that happened after Ashley slapped Craig and ran off stage happened. So, AU, I guess. One-shot, though there is a possibility that could change. Doubtful, though.
Disclaimer: One day, I will move to Canada, and buy Degrassi with all the money I've made through my waffle club. But, until that day comes, it is not mine, and I will have to live with that.
Number One
They're on the stage, but she's not singing, and the audience is staring as the demise of Ashley and Craig unfolds in front of them. And she can't take the shock or the pain, so she slaps him with all her bitter resentment and heartbreak, then flees the stage as quickly as possible.
She finds herself standing against her locker, the cold metal against her skin sending calming shivers down her spine, as she shakes with dry sobs and grief for love lost. She sees a figure heading towards her, and she intuitively knows that it's Jimmy. Because he's always there, and he always has been, throughout all the years and all the heartache. She slides down the locker into a sitting position on the cool ground, and he's beside her in an instant.
"Ash, what's wrong?" She hears him ask, "What happened?"
She's silent for some time, though, and he's patient because he can see the pain in her eyes and the betrayed expression on her face. The absolutely detrimental anguish coursing through her, and he can see it. He's always been able to.
She answers him finally, ever so quietly, her voice barely reaching beyond a whisper, in as steady a voice as she can manage, that Craig's been cheating on her with Manny Santos for months, and that their entire relationship has been a lie. And Jimmy looks at her with those sympathetic eyes of his, and he tells her that he's sorry, and that Craig's a blind jackass for not seeing what's been right in front of him. He tells her that she doesn't deserve what he did to her, and he wipes a single, stray tear from her face. But she comments quietly that maybe she did deserve it and goes on to ask him if he believes in karma.
"Maybe this is mine," she says.
She's pulled a lot of crap, she tells him, and he knows it better than most. He's been directly affected through the years, and somehow this is now some sort of abstract apology and healing process in the making, as they sit there against the lockers, the cool metal still pressed against her back, chilling her faintly, though she won't move.
He tells her that she doesn't deserve this, despite her past, despite their past, and that what Craig did was petty, cruel, and insensitive. That if he really loved her, he wouldn't have violated her like that. She can't hold back the tears now, and she's crying openly in front of him. "Ash…" he whispers painfully because he doesn't know what to say, but that okay with her as he gently pulls her head onto his shoulder for comfort. She cries for a few minutes, and he whispers words of comfort in her ear that neither of them really notices, until the tears have stopped, and her head is simply resting on his shoulder. She thanks him for being so kind, and so wonderful, as usual, but she still doesn't remove herself, and he's fine with that, because he never really wanted her to in the first place. Because she's still his number one, and she always will be. No matter who she's with.