Chapter Six
"I'm telling you that she still loves you," Danny said as he lounged on the couch and looked at Tucker who was pacing back and forth in the living room.
"If she loved me she would have at least talked to me, let me explain what happened, believed that nothing happened," Tucker told Danny.
Danny laughed, "It's because she loves you that she didn't." Tucker gave Danny a dubious look. "Come on you know how Jazz thinks."
"She and Sam will be here in ten minutes," Danny told his friend. "Just relax. You look like you're waiting to get your head chopped off." Tucker gave him a warning look and Danny chuckled.
The door opened and Tucker held his breath. He turned to see Jazz and Sam walking through the door. Both girls were smiling. Jazz's eyes lit on Tucker and her eyes went wide in shock, then she composed herself quickly.
"Hi, Tucker," she said as she walked forward.
"Hey," Tucker replied as he watched her hungrily. She stopped just a few feet away from him and smiled as she met his eyes. Sam looked at Tucker and Jazz warily then pulled her husband off the couch and into the other room.
"Hi," Jazz repeated then swallowed hard.
"You said that already," Tucker informed her as a smile of his own grew on his face.
Jazz laughed a little. "Sam and Danny planned this didn't they?" Tucker nodded and she sighed.
"I've missed you," he told her. Jazz looked at him sadly then moved to sit down on the couch. He took her arm before she could sit and pulled her into his arms. Jazz sighed deeply, closing her eyes as she breathed in the scent of him. She told herself hugging him was a bad idea. Talking to him was a bad idea.
"I've missed you too," she admitted reluctantly as her arms went around him. They stood like that for a long time, with her head resting against his chest and his face buried in her hair. Finally Tucker pulled away so he could look into her eyes.
"How have you been?" he asked as he stroked her cheek gently.
"Good," she answered, repressing a shiver and the urge to press herself closer to him. "Tired. Working hard. You?"
"Not so good," he answered honestly.
"I tried to call you," Jazz said as she took in his appearance. He looked like he always looked. His glasses were still on his face, she mused that he would look good with contacts. His hat placed perfectly as always, and is eyes, filled with an emotion Jazz didn't want to name.
She watched as his eyebrows furrowed. "When?" he asked.
"A few weeks ago," she answered. He had a small nick near his ear from shaving. She smiled as a sweet memory of him letting her shave his face flooded through her mind. Jazz touched the little cut with the tip of her finger and Tuck shivered.
"I moved," Tucker told her as he grabbed her hand, he couldn't bare her exploration of his face with her fingertip, at least not without eventually kissing her.
"So," Jazz said then pressed her lips together. She really wanted to kiss him. She also wanted to kick herself for being so weak, this was the perfect opportunity to get the closure they both needed.
"What happened?" Tucker finally asked as he stepped away from her. She missed his warmth immediately and wanted to rush back into his arms, but instead she sat in the nearest chair, while he sat on the couch.
Jazz looked down at her hands. "I reacted unreasonably," she said. "I should have talked to you instead of just cutting you off."
"I was just doing what you told me to do," Tucker told her sadly. "And nothing happened, I was just giving…"
"Sam explained the whole thing," Jazz interrupted as she held up her hand. "I was being ridiculous. I'm sorry I should have talked to you and not left things up in the air like that. I was just scared."
Tucker swallowed hard as he leaned forward. "Scared of what?"
"That I'd be weak and not break things off with you," Jazz answered. Her own heart began to ache as she watched the look on Tucker's face go from hopeful to shattered.
"You have to admit," she said. "Our lives are not compatible. You have your career to pursue and I have mine. I will not allow either of us to give that up."
Tucker looked at her tiredly for a moment then leaned back on the couch and out the front window. "You're logic is unreasonable," he said. "We could make things work if you'd be willing."
"There's no point!" Jazz argued.
Tucker moved to the floor and got down on his knees in front of Jazz. He took her hands and looked into her eyes. "The point is I love you, Jazz. I…"
"I'm seeing someone," Jazz told him, telling herself she was being cruel to be kind. "His name is Robert. He's studying to become a Psychologist as well…He…" Jazz paused as Tucker slumped down and buried his face in her lap. She wasn't sure what to do as she removed his hat and put her hand on his head. The next thing she knew he was looking up at her, then moving closer and then he was kissing her. It all happened so fast that she didn't have time to guard her reaction as he slid his tongue along her lower lip, begging for entry.
Had she been given time to prepare herself, she would have been able to resist, as it was she opened her mouth to him with a soft moan and wound her arms around his neck, letting him pull her from the chair and down to the floor where he cradled her in his arms as he kissed her hungrily, hoping beyond hope that he could convey to her how much he loved and needed her.
Danny, who had gone to check on the two lovers, headed back into the other room as fast as he could, broke the spell by calling out as he shielded his eyes, "Oops sorry, didn't mean to interrupt."
Tucker and Jazz broke away from each other and watched Danny retreating then looked at each other again. Jazz closed her eyes a moment and Tucker kissed her chin. She smiled sadly, knowing she should move away from him, but instead she met his lips again kissing him softly and lovingly. She loved this man, too much, it was frightening.
Jazz instantly thought of her mother and the way she was all about Jack, he father. Her mother adored him, and Jazz felt that they loved each other too much. Her mother had sacrificed everything to follow her father's insane pursuits, Jazz didn't want that for herself. She could see herself being willing to give up everything for Tucker, he'd never ask it, she was sure, but she would just give it. She had to be strong against her unreasonable feelings.
"Tuck," Jazz said as she finally moved away from him. "We can't do this. It's just not going to work."
"Jazz, I love you more than anything in this world," Tucker told her, she could tell by the look in his eyes he meant it, but that didn't make it true. Love like that was a once in a life time thing. She'd seen it devour her parents, and recognized it in Danny and Sam. The law of averages excluded her from finding that kind of love, and she didn't even think she wanted it anyway.
"He asked me to marry him," Jazz said, picking up where their conversation left off. She couldn't look at Tucker's face any longer.
"What did you tell him?" Tucker asked stiffly.
Jazz sighed as she continued to fiddle with her fingers. "I didn't answer him. I'm supposed to have made my decision by July when he comes to visit. I-I plan on saying yes…"
Tucker moved away from Jazz in disgust, dumping her on the floor as he stood and put one hand on his head. She watched him pace for a moment, looking for something to say, but instead he just walked out.
"Was that the door slamming?" Sam asked as she poked her head into the living room. Both she and Danny walked slowly toward Jazz who was still sitting on the floor, openly sobbing.
"What happened?" Danny asked worriedly as he knelt next to his sister. She threw her arms around him and shook with tears. Sam looked out the window and saw Tucker pacing back and forth angrily on the sidewalk. He looked at the house several times before finally turning and walking away.
Jazz began explaining to Danny what she told Tucker and he sighed as he hugged his sister tighter.
"I told you," he said to Sam. "Letting them get involved with each other was a bad idea."
Sam shook her head. "I think I should go after Tucker," she said then walked to the door. She looked at Jazz a moment then at Danny. He could tell she was angry, at who he wasn't sure, and he didn't really want to ask.
"Gee Jazz," Danny finally said, feeling sad both for his sister and his best friend. "For someone so smart, you sure are stupid."
"Shut up, Danny," Jazz told him angrily as she stood and walked to the window.
"Well you are," Danny continued. "Why are you doing this to him anyway? Don't you love him? I mean seriously you don't kiss someone one moment and then in the next tell them you're going to marry someone else."
"Oh yeah, I'm going to listen to you. You're just a bastion of knowledge when it comes to matters of the heart," Jazz told him sarcastically.
Danny looked at his sister a moment and said, "I got the woman I wanted. I think I know what I'm talking about." Jazz looked at him and rolled her eyes. "Besides if you do marry this Robert jerk, I'll see to it that you never have a day's peace. I'll send Boxy after you."
"Oh please," Jazz said as she rolled her eyes.
"I'm serious," Danny told her. "You need to set things right with Tucker. Even if you're going to part ways with him, he deserves better than you've given him."
"You're right," Jazz said in defeat.
"Plus, you love him. You know you do," Danny continued. "Why are you so foolish about it? Is it because you have to work for it? What?"
"I don't know," Jazz answered feeling irritated that her brother was grilling her about this. "I just don't want to be like Mom and Dad." Danny laughed then stood.
"Jazz," he said. "You're such a spazz." He started walking into the other room.
"I am not!" Jazz yelled.
"Are too," he called.
"No I'm not," Jazz whispered.
"Yes you are!" Danny hollered then laughed.
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX
Seeing Jazz again left Tucker with mixed feelings. On one hand, he wanted to pick her up and run away with her, on the other he wanted to shake her for being so ridiculous.
When she told him she was involved with Robert, he wanted to yell. He wanted to hit something. He'd kissed her instead, hoping beyond hope that he could in someway convince her that this Robert person was not the one for her, that it was him. They belonged together.
She told him after the most mind blowing kiss he'd ever experienced after he laid his heart bare before her, that she was going to marry the jerk and he wanted to die. He couldn't stand being in the same room with her and not losing control, not yelling at her, not trying to forcibly make her admit that she loved him too.
Tucker stood outside on the sidewalk and realized he left his hat inside. Jazz always liked to steal his hat from his head, and it wasn't that he minded so much as now he felt naked without it, he needed his hat. He paced back and forth as he looked at the house and contemplated going back for it, he finally decided it wasn't worth it and walked away. He needed to cool off, so he started walking.
He hadn't gone far before Sam caught up with him. He was about to tell her that he didn't want to talk about it, but then he realized she wasn't going to say anything. She just walked beside him silently, keeping him company they walked.
"She says she's going to marry someone else," Tucker finally said, hating how his voice shook.
"No way," Sam said in disbelief, pretending she didn't know. "Who?"
Tucker shook his head. "It doesn't matter who. What matters is it's not me!"
"So you're just going to let her go?" Sam asked. "Not going to fight for her or anything?"
Tucker was silent for awhile. "What can I do? It's impossible to argue with Jazz."
"Yeah," Sam said as she sighed. "She's stubborn. Like Danny." Tucker laughed bitterly and put his arm around Sam's waist.
"So want to sit with me at the Nasty Burger for awhile?" Tucker asked hopefully. Sam smiled sadly and nodded her head. She wasn't about to prod Tucker further, and she'd have a few choice words ready for her sister-in-law, later.
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX
"Jazz," Maddie said as she knocked on he daughter's bedroom door. It wasn't like her to still be asleep at eleven in the afternoon.
"Come in," Jazz called.
"Sweetie are you feeling all right?" Maddie asked as she stepped into the room and observed Jazz laying in bed.
"I'm fine," she answered. "I've just had a lot of decisions to make lately, and I'm tired."
"Decisions?" Maddie asked as she sat on the edge of Jazz's bed and put her hand on her forehead.
"I'm not sick," Jazz told her mother. "Just tired."
"You've been running yourself ragged, Sweetie," Maddie said. "Why don't you take it easy for a few days. Spend sometime with Danny and Sam, sleep."
Jazz put her arm over her eyes and sighed. "Did you know Tucker's in town?"
Maddie smiled softly as she looked at her daughter. "He's been staying at Danny's," she answered. "Still fighting with him?"
"He and I are over," Jazz told her mother then held back a sob. Maddie sighed as she watched her daughter.
"Danny told me what happened," Maddie said and Jazz groaned. "I think you're being extremely unreasonable, if you love him…"
"It's not about if I love him," Jazz told her mother angrily. "This isn't about love. It's about compatibility."
Maddie smiled a little. "So you're saying that you and Tucker don't get along. You fight all the time. There's no real spark between you."
"No," Jazz said. "We get along fine. I've never been happier than I was when we were together but…"
"Isn't that what matters?" Maddie asked as she stroked her daughter's hand. "That you're happy."
"It's just a for the moment thing," Jazz told her. "It's not sane. We have different life paths."
"I see," Maddie told her daughter. "That's a shame." Jazz nodded her head and held back her tears.
"You know," Maddie began. "If I thought like you, I'd probably have married Vlad instead of your father." Jazz gave her mother an almost shocked look and Maddie laughed. "Wouldn't that have been an awful mistake? I would have missed out on so much."
Jazz had nothing to say in response at first then said, "I don't think I'm going to marry at all. Why does everyone think it's necessary to find a life partner and get married?"
"You don't have to," Maddie responded. "You do what's going to make you happy Jazz. That's what matters. Not compatible life paths." Jazz sighed and Maddie smoothed her hand through her daughter's hair.
"Why don't you get out of the house. Go shopping. You're wardrobe looks like it needs to be updated." Maddie told her.
"Alone?" Jazz asked as she scrunched up her face.
"Call Sam," Maddie suggested. "Aren't any of your friends in town?"
"No," Jazz answered. "And Sam's mad at me."
Maddie sighed deeply, "Well maybe you can use the time to think."
"I've had too much time to think," Jazz countered.
"Or not think then," Maddie laughed. "Just get out of bed and out of the house."
"Fine," Jazz said as she climbed out of bed.
Maddie smiled and made her way out of the room. "All I want is for you to be happy, Jazz."
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX
Jazz was in Bucky's Mega Music Store flipping through audio books when Valerie Grey spotted her. Jazz chastised herself for wanting to run away. Instead she smiled sweetly at the girl as she stood beside her.
"I heard about you and Tucker," Valerie said as she stood beside Jazz who had begun flipping through the albums in front of her.
"What did you hear?" Jazz asked.
"You know what I heard," Valerie answered as she folded her arms across her chest. "And I think you're heartless."
Jazz looked at Valerie with wide eyes. "What? Why?"
"Tucker and I have had our problems. We have a rough history together, but I never really wanted to hurt him. He's a good hearted person and he deserves better than to be treated like has by you!" Valerie growled at Jazz.
"I hardly think you know anything about it," Jazz told her as she tried to control her anger.
Valerie smiled slowly. "Of course I know something about it? Tucker and I had a date the other night, of course he didn't see it as a date, but that doesn't matter. I was considering trying to win him back, but all he talks about is you."
Jazz shook her head in confusion. "I thought you were engaged…"
Valerie smiled. "I called it off," she said then sighed. "I want to see Tucker happy. I think that maybe I am the person to make him that way. I know his heart is a little worse for wear, but he'll soon realize what a shallow idiot you are and when he does, I intend to be there and…"
"Wait," Jazz said as she stepped away from Valerie. "I don't think you and Tucker can be happy together. You're not the right person for him!" She began to feel incredibly ill.
"Well," Valerie laughed. "It's not up to you to decide now is it?"
Jazz sighed in defeat, her head was starting to ache. "It's not," she said tiredly and Valerie frowned at her.
Jazz closed her eyes for a moment then turned to Valerie. "Is there anything else you needed?" she asked almost acidly. "Because I should go."
"No," Valerie said as she smiled. "Have a good day." Jazz walked away as quickly as she could without walking back.
"It's safe to come out now," Valerie called and Sam poked her head out from where she was hiding.
"Do you think it worked?" Sam asked as Valerie slipped her engagement ring back on her left hand.
"If it didn't," Valerie said, "Then I'm losing my touch."
"I doubt that Val," Sam laughed as she looked around, making sure she wasn't spotted.
"Where's Tuck?" Valerie asked. "Does he know what you're doing?"
Sam gave Valerie a wide eyed look. "No," she answered. "If he had any inkling of my plan. He'd kill me?"
Valerie laughed. "What about Danny?"
"He doesn't know either Ethel," Sam laughed.
"Oh great," Valerie said dryly. "I suppose that makes you Lucy."
"Of course," Sam told her blankly. "And when I get home, Danny will say I have some splanin to do!"
Valerie raised one eyebrow at Sam. "You need to get out more girl! You've been watching way too much television." Sam laughed then walked with Valerie out of the music store.
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX