Behind the Scenes – Chapter 6
Enjoy and don't forget to drop a review and let me know what you think! I do NOT own Once Upon a Time, its characters, the script used in this story, and this is all for fun!
.
Filming had begun the following day for season five, episode twenty-two of the show and Jen's call time wasn't until 8p.m. that evening. The scene needed a dark evening, and thankfully instead of pushing into the early hours of the morning, the crew decidedly waited for the evening hours to film. It gave everyone a chance to refresh and recoup from the emotions of the day prior, for Jen, especially, as she had to spend most of her day in tears which was not only mentally draining, but physically as well.
It was around four in the morning when Jen's body naturally awoke. After sticking to her morning routine of getting up, writing in her journal, having her coffee, and doing her morning yoga for years, it was just a natural part of who she was now. Except today when she was finished, she laid down on the couch with Ava, every intention of reading a new book, she ended up falling back to sleep once more. When she awoke again, it was already one in the afternoon.
She stood from the couch, walked over to the counter, and grabbed her keys, walked back to the bedroom, and grabbed her phone, and then headed for the door. She slipped on her tennis shoes and grabbed Ava's leash. "Come on, Ava! Let's go for a walk!"
Ava came running over and sat down so Jen could clip the leash to her collar. Jen clipped it and stood, opening the front door. They walked out and headed for the elevator. Once inside, Jen pressed the main floor button and checked her phone.
Good morning, love. Last night was everything. See you on set later today! C.
A smiled spread across Jen's lips. Recalling back everything that had happened in the last 24 hours made butterflies appear in her stomach once more. It's not a dream, this is really happening, she reminded herself. She pressed the response bubble and started typing:
Good morning, Col. I agree, I'd do it all over again *wink emoji* ! See you soon! J.
Jen slid her phone into the side pocket of her leggings and when the elevator dinged her arrival to the main floor, she walked with Ava out of the elevator, down the corridor, and out the doors to the street. The hustle and bustle of Vancouver was something she adored. She wasn't one for 'small town quiet' anymore. She began walking down the sidewalk, Ava in tow, and popped her air pods in to listen to an audio book.
.
Colin had awoken around 7:30a.m. that morning, his call time matching Jen's as their scene was the second up on the docket for filming that evening. He had awoken to silence, however, as his home dynamic had changed drastically due to his wife's affair. The house remained as it had been, everything left in its place, but the silence that tried to fill the void was almost too much for Colin to bare.
He got out of bed, brushed his teeth after using the bathroom, and headed for the kitchen. He made himself some toast with avocado, sprinkled some everything bagel seasoning on top, something Jen had showed him and that he thoroughly enjoyed, and sat at the island on a stool. He grabbed his phone and sent a text to Jen, not sure what she had been up to that same morning. He just knew he couldn't wait to see her this evening.
After finishing breakfast, Colin went down to his basement and began working out in the home gym he had created to avoid the public and paparazzi. He popped in his air pods, went over to the weight bench, added what he needed to, and began lifting.
Two hours later, his workout was finished, and he was dripping in sweat. He grabbed his phone and checked for a response from Jen but hadn't seen one. Without too much overthinking, he went back upstairs to shower. Once he was finished, he laid back down in his king-sized bed, turned the TV on, and dozed off for a few more hours of sleep. As an actor, sleep was something he had constantly deprived himself of, and when able, he would take full advantage of getting caught up.
By the time he had awoken, it was nearing one in the afternoon. He checked his phone once more and still hadn't heard back from Jen. He tossed his phone on the bed and went to heat up some leftovers from the fridge. Just as soon as he had sat down to eat, he heard a ding come from his bedroom, signaling that a text had arrived. His heart thumped a little faster, hoping that the response had come from Jen. He left the kitchen and walked to his bed, grabbing the phone and unlocking the screen. Opening his texts, he was relieved to find that Jen's name was bolded, meaning the text had come from her. He read her response and couldn't help but smile at the emoji she had thrown in at the end. He started typing back:
Who says we need to wait until call time to see each other? What are you doing now? C.
He hit the send button and shoved his phone into his pocket, walking back out to the kitchen to eat the leftovers he had warmed up.
.
Jen heard a ding in her air pods, indicating a text response. She slid her phone from her pocket and looked at the screen, continuing her walk with Ava. She read and responded:
Ava and I are out for a walk/run now, but after that, I have nothing planned the remainder of free time. Mind if I pop over? J.
She hit send and picked up her pace from a walk to a fast jog. Nothing helped relieve the stress more in her life than a good jog/run with Ava every day. She turned down the block and kept her pace consistent, Ava panting happily in tow. By the time they had reached Jen's place again, she had reached her daily three miles. Sweat dripped from her forehead and she felt sticky all over.
"Alright, Ava, let's get inside so mommy can shower! I've got plans!" she told Ava as if she understood exactly what she was saying. She popped her air pods out and put them back in their case, shoving the case back in her pocket. She walked down the corridor to the elevator and got on with Ava, sliding her phone back out of her pocket to check for a response. A message awaited her:
Absolutely, come over, love. I'll be here. C.
Butterflies fluttered in her stomach once more at the thought of how they could spend their free time. By the time she got over there, they'd have a few hours together before needing to be on set for hair and makeup, and with a few hours, anything could happen. The elevator pinged the arrival to her floor, and she got off, walking Ava down to their door. Upon entering, she removed Ava's leash and watched her trot to the water bowl near the kitchen. She followed and grabbed some water from the fridge. She responded as she drank:
Great! Just got back. I'll shower and be over shortly! J.
.
Jen pulled up in Colin's driveway and checked the time, 2:33p.m. She grabbed her phone from the cup holder and slid it into the back pocket of her jeans as she got out. She walked up to the door and knocked twice, stepping back to wait. She heard a rustle inside and then feet walking in her direction, the doorknob turns, and the most handsome man in her life appeared before her.
Colin gestured into his house, "Welcome back. Come in."
Jen let out a small laugh and walked inside past Colin, getting a whiff of his cologne as she did. She smiled and slid her shoes off, turning back to him, "Sorry it took me so long to respond this morning. Couldn't really sleep in so I was up doing my normal stuff, then accidentally fell back asleep on the couch with Ava!"
"You don't have to apologize, love, I understand. I'm just glad you did respond," Colin put his hands on her waist and pulled her in for a gentle kiss. Jen responded immediately by leaning into his kiss, her arms wrapping around his neck. When they pulled back, she smiled and said, "I missed you."
"I missed you too." Though their time apart had been only mere hours, the passion they were brewing for one another felt as though days had gone by in each other's absence.
Colin reached over his shoulder and took one of Jen's hands, bringing it down and intertwining it with his own, walking with her to the couch.
"So," he sat down, pulling Jen onto his lap, "we've got a bit of time, what would you like to do?"
Jen scooted on his lap to make herself even more comfortable, then wrapped her arm around his neck once more, "I could think of a list of things, but honestly, this is perfect," she smiled and kissed his cheek.
Colin moved his hand to her jawline and behind her ear, pulling her closer, if that was even possible, and kissing her lips, gently, but passionately. Jen twisted her body so that she was now straddling him. She kissed him again and then kissed his cheek, down to his jawline, and back towards his ear, where she suckled momentarily just under his earlobe. Colin let out a soft moan, "Oh, Jen…"
She smiled as she trailed back along his jawline and up to his lips, biting gently on the bottom one before running her tongue along the top and into his mouth, dancing around his tongue.
Colin's hands wrapped around her lower waist as the continued kissing each other. He held her close, feeling the moment fleeting as the clock ticked away their free time. When they both came up for air, Colin held her face in his hand, "Jen, you make me so happy."
"Honestly, Col, I haven't felt this good in so, so long. I'm so happy, too." Her voice was soft and she never broke eye contact. It was hard for her to open herself up to a man again. She had tried dating around after her engagement with Jesse had ended, but it only left her constantly wanting more. Her needs were never met, though not for lack of trying, but somehow, Colin was filling all these voids she didn't know she carried with her.
Colin pulled her into a hug, and they cuddled on the couch. Jen grabbed the remote from the couch arm and started flipping through the Netflix list, not looking for anything specific. "Want to watch anything in particular?"
Colin chuckled, "Look, we're getting that Netflix and chill date that Emma and Hook need!"
Jen laughed along with him, "Wow, that's great!"
"Nothing in particular, no. Whatever you want!" Colin squeezed her arm, content just as they were.
Jen found a movie and clicked the 'ok' button to make it play. She reached over and put the remote back where she found it and then wrapped her arm over Colin's stomach, squeezing gently. Colin's other hand came down to rest on top of her arm, holding her as well.
They laid there, snuggling, and watching, occasionally finding each other's mouths for a kiss. Several hours had passed by without either realizing it. It wasn't until Colin heard Jen's stomach grumble in response to needing a proper dinner call out to the silence.
"Jen, you hungry?" Colin ran his hand up and down her forearm, waiting for her response, one that wasn't coming.
"Jen?" he sat up some, peering over to look at her face. Her eyes were shut and he noticed her breathing had slowed, her chest rising and falling peacefully. 'When did she even fall asleep?' he thought to himself. "Jen?" he grabbed her arm and shook her softly.
Jen moaned a response back, squeezing him tighter, refusing to open her eyes.
"Love, your stomach grumbled, do you want me to make you some dinner?" he brought his hand to her cheek and rubbed his thumb there. His touch was met with great heat radiating from her skin. "Jen, are you feeling ok?" He moved his hand to her forehead and felt even more heat radiating there.
"No…cold!" she sleepily responded. She snuggled into him more, trying to find warmth. Colin kissed her head and shifted out from under her, barely able to due to the tightening of her grip on him. He grabbed a blanket from the other end of the couch and covered her. He kissed her one more time and whispered into her ear, "I'll be right back, I'm going to grab the thermometer."
By the time Colin had returned, Jen was fully asleep again. She looked so peaceful on his couch. He almost forgot the purpose of him leaving her there and quickly knelt down beside her. He placed the thermometer on her temple and pressed the button. It came to life with a loud beep, causing Jen to stir once more. Colin used his other hand to soothe her, running it through her hair. He held the thermometer in place and waited the ten seconds it took to register her internal temperature. It beeped loudly again and flashed red, showing at 101.8 degrees Fahrenheit on the small screen.
He shook his head, noting that she had come down with something. He removed the thermometer and walked to the kitchen to make her some honey tea. Upon returning, Jen had begun to stir awake, laying there still with her eyes open, staring off.
"Jen?"
"Col, I'm not feeling so hot. I feel like I'm going to…" Jen grabbed her mouth, threw the blanket off her, and ran in the direction of the bathroom. She had no time to close the door behind her as she fell to the floor in front of the toilet, barely making it without spewing all over the floor. She heaved a few more times before she was finally met with dry heaves and then nothing but weakness. She laid her head on her arm that rested on the toilet seat and closed her eyes, hoping the worst of it had passed.
Colin had set the tea down on the coffee table and followed right behind her. He had knelt down on one knee, rubbing her back. When she was finished, he grabbed a small cup, filled it with water, and offered it to her, brushing her hair back away from her face and the toilet.
Jen offered a half smile as she took the cup and sipped the water. She didn't want to push it for fear of more vomit making its appearance.
"You look pale," Colin noted, "I can give Adam and Eddy a heads up that you won't be in tonight."
"No, the show must go on," Jen tucked some stray hairs behind her ear, "I'll be ok. Do you have any Motrin on hand?"
Colin looked concerningly at her, but nodded and stood, "I'll be right back."
Jen gave a thumbs up and closed her eyes once again. Before Colin could return, she felt her stomach twist again and she lifted her head, vomiting once again. She had already felt so weak from the first vomiting session that this one took every last bit to hold herself over the bowl. When she finally stopped again, she scooted down onto the floor and closed her eyes.
Colin returned to find her curled up on the floor, "Oh, Jen!" his voice cracked with sadness. He bent down and scooped under her shoulders and legs, and lifted her up, carrying her to his room and laying her down in his bed. He pulled the comforter from under her and covered her up. "Here, take this," he handed her two Motrin and the cup of honey tea.
She obliged and downed the pills, resting back on his pillow. "Lay with me?" her voice whispered.
"Of course," Colin crawled over her and laid down, spooning her, and holding her close, yet gentle so as not to upset her stomach. He kissed her shoulder and brushed her hair back out of her face once more. He laid there and listened to her breathing, hearing an occasional moan of discomfort every now and then. He felt bad but knew there was nothing more he could do for her in that moment. He looked over her shoulder at the clock on his nightstand and saw that it was already 5:45p.m. He hoped that if he let her rest, Jen would wake up feeling a little better, and thankfully, that's exactly what happened.