"Near to You"

By: singyourmelody

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters, the song "Hit Me Baby One More Time," or Lifetime, Television for Women.

Chapter 6: Those Words Are Heavy Things

"Dylan, you have to move your foot. You're never going to make it into the car if you don't move your stupid foot!" Phoebe exclaimed, bending down to physically move Dylan's foot for him.

"Phoebe! So not helping!" Christina declared.

Dylan finally responded, "Wait, I'm not finished yet!" He then continued his off-key and very loud singing: "My loneliness, is killin' me. I must confess, I still believe. Still believe! Hit me baby, one more time!"

"Dylan!" Christina and Phoebe shouted in unison.

"I'm moving okay?" Dylan said in slurred speech. "It would just help if the ground would stop moving too!"

Will and Phoebe exchanged glances as Will finally walked over to Dylan, threw him over his shoulder, and carried him to the car.

"Stop man! I got this okay?" Dylan shouted from his perch on Will's shoulder.

Will refused to put Dylan down, however, until the four were at the car. Once inside, Christina buckled Dylan in and then herself.

"How are we going to get him in the house with no one waking up?" Phoebe questioned as Will pulled out of the driveway. "He is being so loud!"

As she was saying this, Dylan bent over in his seat, the contents of his previous meals spread out all over the car floor.

"Ewww!" Christina squirmed.

"Dylan! That is so not alright!" Will said from the driver's seat. "I could've pulled over!"

Phoebe rolled down the windows as Dylan seemed to awaken a little bit from his drunken stupor.

"Well, sorr-ee Mr. Perfect Will. Or are you really so good? I bet Frank doesn't know. And Helen. She don't know. And Christina. Even Christina right here doesn't know," Dylan said, patting Christina on the back.

"I don't know what?" Christina questioned, moving out of Dylan's reach.

"Why Miss Chrissy here doesn't know, Will. I think I should tell her; shouldn't dear ol' sister know why you and Phoebe seem to disappear together an awful lot? And why you haven't brought home a girlfriend since, well, I don't think you ever really did bring a girlfriend home. Of course, why would you need to go outside of the family, when you have choices right here. Right, William?" Dylan taunted.

"Dylan, stop!" Phoebe commanded.

"Why should I, Pheee-be? You're just as bad. Sneaking off with Will when you think no one notices. And you own step-brother. I see the way you look at him. Really, Phoebes. Him? C'mon, even—"

"That's enough," Will stated.

"But I'm just getting—" Dylan continued.

"No, I said that is enough!" Will yelled.

There was silence in the car for a minute, before Christina said, "What's he talking about Will? Phoebe? They aren't together, Dylan. I mean, that'd be too weird. You live together! And are practically related! Right?"

Will shot a quick glance at Phoebe. They had agreed that it was too early to tell anyone, in hopes to avoid conversations like this one until there were absolutely positive that this was what they wanted to do.

"I could never be with a free-loading hippie like Phoebe. You know that, Dylan. Please, what kind of girls do we normally talk about? Leggy blondes, man. It's where it's at!" Will said, looking nervously in the rearview mirror at Dylan.

Phoebe stared straight ahead with a look of total disbelief on her face. So this was how he was going to play? Fine. She turned around and looked straight at Dylan, "And I could never be with an uptight control freak like Will. All thought and no action makes Will a dull boy. Right, William?" Phoebe asked, disdain dripping from her words.

Christina looked at Will and then Phoebe. She finally turned to Dylan and said, "You are such a weird drunk. Go to sleep. We'll be home soon."

Dylan replied, "Whatever. Enjoy your scandalous little love affair. Let me know when our family is being interviewed for the Lifetime Movie of the Week." He curled up as best as he could and went to sleep.

"Maybe if he is unconscious we can carry him inside. He'll at least be quiet!" Christina suggested.

The rest of the ride home was dead silent. Christina and Phoebe helped a semi-awake Dylan into the house while Will stayed outside to try to clean up the car.

Phoebe came back out carrying a roll of paper towels and several plastic bags. The two worked in silence until the car looked mostly fine.

Finally Will said, "So, control freak, huh?" Phoebe's words had affected him more than he cared to admit.

Phoebe looked up and said, "'Free-loading hippie'?"

"What did you want me to say? We had to keep things under wraps!"

"But you didn't have to be mean about it!" Phoebe said, crossing her arms in front of her.

"I had to make it look like I don't like you!"

"Please, Dylan didn't buy that for a minute. We normally got along before this whole thing ever started up. And how did he know about us anyway? I thought you said he has been out recently!"

"He has! I don't know how he knew—except, oh," Will said, a realization dawning. "He knew," he said quietly. "He knew even before I knew. How is that possible?"

"What do you mean, 'he knew before you knew'?" Phoebe questioned.

"He made a comment before you got back from Europe about how I was hoping that you were the same girl you always were. I think he knew that I was in love with that girl," Will stated.

Phoebe stared at him for a while. "Well that girl has had enough drama for tonight and is going bed," Phoebe said, turning to go into the house.

"Wait."

Phoebe turned back around. "What?" she demanded.

"Don't go. We're not okay yet."

"Huh?"

"This thing between us, our fight, whatever you want to call it, we didn't straighten it out yet. You're not happy. I can tell," Will stated.

"It's not going to be all happy times, Will," Phoebe pointed out.

"I know that, Phoebe. It's just, I don't want to leave things like this right now. I don't want this to be an unhappy time because of something stupid I said when I was trying to keep our relationship a secret."

"Fine." Phoebe sighed. "We're okay. I'm sorry for saying those things and I know you are too. Good night, Will," Phoebe said, turning and walking back toward the house.

"Oh, and Will?" She said, stopping briefly before opening the door, but refusing to turn around and look at him. "Happy New Year."

"Yeah, some kind of happy," Will whispered to himself before going in the house.

So, it looks like our couple has hit a speed bump on the road to happiness. I hope I didn't make Dylan too villainous. That wasn't my intention at all; he actually is one of my favorite characters to write. Comments? Please review!