If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you. - Winnie the Pooh
It was a few months later, in February, and Veronica was visiting from New York again. Christi and Alex were secretly dating while Jackson and Veronica were exclusively dating. Veronica visited Seattle every weekend or so, whenever she could. Alex and Christi were soon going to come out publicly and get an apartment together. In fact, Christi and Veronica were walking to Mark's apartment to get her stuff right now.
"So why are we walking there?" Veronica asked.
"Because I didn't have my car, and my car is there."
"Oh," Veronica said simply, "And you're so against taking mine."
"Yes, I am against taking a Pontiac Solstice with a broken convertible roof and limited trunk space in the soon to be rain."
"Refry!" Veronica exclaimed, bending to pick up a cigarette with a plastic thing at the filter.
"That's no cigarette," Christi said.
"It's a cigarillo," Veronica said, taking her lighter out.
"What's the plastic?"
"The tip,"
"You still smoke?"
"Not cigarettes. I smoke cigars, and little cigars, and these cigarillos, which is in the middle of the two."
"Little cigars," Christi asked as Veronica sparked her lighter to sanitize the filter.
"They're like cigars in the size of cigarettes."
"Wait, didn't you quit?" Christi asked, "Back in high school."
"Nope," Veronica said shortly, "I would go out into town and light refries."
"You should stop smoking."
"And war should stop too, but that's not happening." Veronica rolled her eyes as she lit up.
"On the first date you said you'd quit though."
"I said I knew how disgusting the habit was. I never said I quit." Veronica took a drag, "This one's vanilla."
"That's disgusting," Christi muttered.
"Vanilla," Veronica asked, "No, it's delicious, want a drag?"
"Absolutely not," Christi shrieked.
"Jeez, calm down,"
"Just smoke your damn cigar," Christi muttered, "I just want you to live to see eighty."
"I'll live to see eighty," Veronica sighed, "Hell I'm living to see a hundred and five." XXX
"What are you two doing?" Mark demanded as he saw Veronica and Christi carrying boxes down the hall.
"I'm moving out dad." Christi said, "And you can't stop me."
"I sure as hell can stop you! I'll stop paying for medical school."
"I'll find a way dad! I will find something to keep me in, one way or another. But I'm moving out from you and you rules! If I can support myself and not get into trouble, maybe you'll respect me a tad more. If not, then oh well. I can live without you." Christi said. Mark stared at her, ashamed. He wasn't ashamed of her, he was ashamed of himself. He couldn't and wouldn't admit it though, not to her. All he did was walk away.
"He looks sad," Veronica noted.
"He drove me into doing this." Christi reminded her, "His rules forced me."
"I know, I know," Veronica said, pushing the elevator button. They got all of her stuff into her Honda Fit and drove to Meredith's place, where Alex still lived until they got an apartment. Christi would be living with them too, and Veronica stayed there when she was in town.
Derek, Alex and Jackson came out to help get the boxes for them. Meredith invited them in and gave them each a margarita.
"Is this made with tequila or vodka?" Veronica asked.
"Tequila," Meredith answered. Veronica shrugged.
"Alright,"
"Here's to Christi moving in," Alex proposed when they were done with boxes.
"Not for good," Meredith reminded them.
"Fucking, still," Veronica said, "Here's to that."
They all clinked glasses and drank. XXX
Veronica and Christi were lounging around Meredith's house a few mornings later while all the doctors were at work. Christi had the day off and Veronica didn't have to go back to New York until the next day. She was already packed, but wanted to stay to help Christi apartment hunt.
"What about the one on Third?" Veronica pointed to a nice apartment on her laptop screen.
"Because that apartment is in New York," Christi said.
"Oh yeah, I was looking in New York apartments."
"Why, are you replacing me?" Christi acted offended.
"No, I was looking for us to move in together when you graduate medical school. Then you'll move to New York with me, or to Baltimore, or to Boston, or to wherever the hospital I accept to work at is."
"How many offers do you have?"
"A lot," she sighed, "Yesterday I got an email suggesting I work at the Danny Jimenez Memorial Clinic in Alaska."
"Danny Jimenez, as in, your Danny Jimenez," Christi emphasized.
"Yep," Veronica said, "He's the one."
"Are you going to work there?"
"I don't think so," Veronica sighed, "I like Maryland."
"Maryland is nice," Christi agreed, "But see the thing is, I'm starting to like Seattle."
"Excuse me?" Veronica asked, disbelieving.
"I like it here. I have Alex and I'm sure my dad and I will make up one day."
"But your best friend is in New York." Veronica pointed to herself.
"Maybe you could move to Seattle too." Christi suggested.
"That's a laugh," Veronica rolled her eyes, "I can't move here."
"Why not, Jackson's here, your best friend is in Seattle." Christi mocked Veronica by pointing to herself.
"I need a good teaching hospital."
"Veronica, Seattle Grace is pretty good, admit it."
"Okay, it is, but it's too rainy here."
"And it's so much less wet in Maryland? Maryland is by the ocean, Veronica."
"Totally different, completely and totally different, Plus, I won't be able to move here until I finish medical school at Columbia, which is still a year away." Veronica said. Suddenly, something overwhelmed her and she jumped off the couch and ran into the bathroom. Christi ran after her, only to find her throwing up in the toilet. Christi held her hair back until she was done. Veronica wiped her mouth and leaned her head against the glass shower door.
"That was violent," Christi said. Veronica scoffed and groaned.
"My head hurts,"
"Are you having a hangover?" Christi asked.
"No," Veronica shook her head, "It's the stomach flu."
Christi put her head to Veronica's forehead to feel her temperature.
"No, you aren't warm. It's no flu." Christi thought for a moment, "Are you pregnant?"
"Absolutely not," Veronica laughed at the idea, "I can't ever be pregnant."
"You really must not want kids."
"No, I can't have kids, like, I can't."
"Oh, you're infertile," Christi said as Veronica nodded, "Do you still use protection to prevent diseases, or birth control for your period?"
"No, Christi, I don't." Veronica sighed.
"I'm getting you a test."
"I'm infertile don't waste fifteen dollars that you might as well give to me anyway." Veronica demanded, getting up. She followed Christi to the front door, where she was told to put on a jacket.
"We're going to the store to get a test." Christi said.
"I don't like you anymore." Veronica sighed, but followed. Twenty minutes later, they were waiting for either a blue or black dot.
"Is it up yet?" Christi asked.
"It takes ten minutes. It's only been four. Hold your horses." It was quiet after Veronica said that, then she said, "These tests are so fricking unclear. A blue or black dot, but which one is pregnant?"
"It says," Christi read the box, "If you are pregnant it will be a blue dot, and if not it'll be black."
"That's dumb," Veronica muttered, "It should just be like, a minus or a plus, or a minus or an equal sign, or a 'pregnant' or 'not pregnant'."
"One time there was one with a smiley face that meant not pregnant." Christi smiled.
"How amazing is that. I want it right now." Veronica laughed too.
"Babies are miracles,"
"Not when they're never supposed to happen. After my miscarriage, I was supposed to be infertile."
"Oh," Christi said and looked at her watch, "It's time," Christi said, picking up the test.
"What does the pee stick say?" Veronica asked. Christi furrowed her eyebrows.
"It's like, gray." She said. Veronica grabbed it and sighed.
"That's fucking navy, it's blue, I'm pregnant." She sighed.
"You're what?" Jackson asked from the doorway.
"I knew it," Christi muttered and left them alone.
"I guess I'm pregnant," Veronica shrugged.
"So what are we gonna do?" Jackson asked.
"Well I have a year and a half left of school, and then I have residency ahead of me."
"But you also have me, and I'll help throughout your pregnancy.
"Oh yeah, the baby will come just in time for my senior year of medical school to start. Then I'll have to take a year or so off to take care of the baby. I'll graduate late." Veronica sighed.
"Not a year, you only have to take a month or two off, and then you're back in school. And if you take summer courses, you can take those maternity months off worry free. You'll graduate in time and start your internship the following January."
"Still the time in between graduating and internship is nine months in itself."
"But you can still work in the summer if you want and autumn and it'll be exactly the same, except with a baby."
"That's the thing, though, with a baby. When I get home my work doesn't end. I'll have to take care of it nonstop."
"Well, what's better than motherhood?" Jackson kissed her forehead.
"Sleep," Veronica said, "The thing is, it's not so much the schedule and whatnot, but responsibility. When you have a baby, you have to be responsible for it and just knowing that you have a child puts so much on your shoulders, even if it's not real."
"You'll have me, and I'll help out so much." He kissed her again, "Are you gonna work at Seattle Grace?"
"I don't think I have a choice." Veronica said, getting misty-eyed, "I don't want to make you move."
"It'll be great," Jackson promised, letting her cry into his chest, "We'll be fine." XXX
Christi was in the living room as Jackson and Veronica sorted things out in the bathroom. Alex walked in and sprinted over to Christi.
"Christi, I am gonna take you on vacation!"
"Vacation, what, where," Christi asked.
"Spring break for school students is soon and I asked the Chief for that week off. He accepted so I'm taking you on a cruise to Hawaii! We're gonna see all the islands."
"What made you do that? You know if my dad finds out he'll try to murder you. But it does sound like so much fun. A week away from the hell my dad is creating. When do we leave for it and anything in particular I should pack?" she asks with a devious smirk knowing his answer.
"Well, first of all, you know what I gave you for your birthday?" he kissed her deeply and she nodded, "Bring that." He whispered.
"Should I also bring that bikini you love… Oh so much," she asked. He kissed her again and nodded.
"Let's get packing," He suggested.
"IT's a month away," Christi protested.
"Well then let's do something else in the bedroom," Alex smirked. Christi laughed and he chased her to the bedroom.
True love is not a vacation from reality, but a lifetime away from the world. - Unknown
This chapter was written by Ronnie T.C. give her props for it!