Okay first off I want to thank all of you who have reviewed. Sorry if I make this short but I've been busy the past few days. My sister just moved back and we've been all over town catching up. But secondly...takes big breath
Okay now I know it's been a little longer since I posted but I have an important tid bit to tell you. I do NOT have chapter 26 ready. Before I could write it, i had to plan the trip out and well I planned out a little further too. So to make sure I will end where I need to, I'm going to have to write what I have planned all together and then break it into chapters. I might be able to pull out three chapters from what I have planned. So be forewarned, it might be a while before this is updated. I am working on it while I'm updating my other stories but I have something coming up and I need to have it planned right and end right. I'm sorry if it sounds confusing but that's me...lol. So do not fret if this isn't updated for maybe a week and a half. I'm gonna try and get it done quick but the next few chapters are very, very important and emotional and they need to be prefect. But for now here is 26 and I hope you like it. :)
The next morning was chaos. Pure chaos. We were all back at Bobby and Angel's place and of course, Bobby and Sofi were going at it. He wanted to go ahead and open the presents now, it was tradition for him. Sofi disagreed. She said they should wait until night time, it was her tradition. This is the part where you'd have the 'insert La Vida Loca joke here' sign and Bobby took it. I was too busy laughing to catch it in full but it was something along the lines of 'go back to the hut you came from and do your tradition there.' Then he had to add that she wasn't apart of this family and pushed her out the door, much to the disliking of Angel. That there started a whole new fight of why Bobby is an asshole, why Angel is brainwashed and why Sofi is still in the house. It was kind of funny, no it was really funny actually. I'm sure once me and Jack tell Jerry what went down he'd be ticked off that he missed it. But me and Jack made sure it was stored in our minds so we could remember it and laugh.
"See is this so bad?" I asked, when we finally sat down for breakfast. I couldn't take the yelling any longer and suggested we go ahead and eat breakfast, which was more like lunch after they shut up, and then we could open presents.
"That's a rhetorical question, right?" Bobby asked, still annoyed. I smiled at him and kept eating. I started to wash the dished when we were done but Bobby made Sofi do it. This time though she didn't argue like everyone thought. I cooked so she thought it was best for her to clean up. Bobby seemed kind of peeved that she didn't fight but quickly realized that he'd get to spend a few minutes without here and rushed everyone else into the living room.
"Don't be so pushy." I mumbled as he literally pushed me over to the tree. He smirked at me and grabbed a box.
"Hand this to Angel, it's from me." he told me. I passed it over to Angel and turned back to Bobby. "This is for Angel from you and Jack." I turned and handed another to Angel.
"Open them, Ang." Bobby ordered. Angel laughed and shook his head.
"It's Christmas, not a drill." he told Bobby. Bobby rolled his eyes and waved his hands for him to continue. Angel sighed and opened the one from Bobby first. The frowned and picked up what looked to be a shirt.
"You got me a shirt?" Angel asked. Bobby smirked and nodded.
"Read it." he told. Angel opened it up and started laughing.
"What's it say?" I asked. Angel passed it to Jack and he chuckled.
"The front says, 'Yes, I hear voices.' and the back says, 'And every single one is my girl going nag, nag, nag, nag, nag.'" Jack told me. I covered my mouth when I heard a pot drop to the floor and a minute later Sofi stormed in the room.
"Oh Bobby, you're such and idiot!" she screeched, snatching the shirt form Jack. "You have no clue what Christmas means. You're just a scrooge."
"Aye mami, don't be such a nag!" Bobby exclaimed, snatching the shirt back from her. Jack and Angel were laying on the couch laughing as I watched Bobby hold up a hand to Sofi's face.
"Nag, nag, nag, nag, nag!" He mocked, moving his hand like a puppet. I couldn't hold my laughter back and I fell in the swivel chair.
"Bobby you're so annoying." Sofi screamed.
"Nag, nag, nag, nag!" he mocked again. "See you're only proving the shirt right." I had tears pouring down my face when I finally stood up to stop the bickering.
"Alright, alright!" I yelled and took the shirt from Bobby. I threw it back to Angel and looked back at Bobby. "Is that all you got him?" I asked. Bobby shook his head and threw Angel another tinier box. Angel opened it and smiled.
"Thanks, Bobby." he said softly, picking up the gold watch in the box.
"Your's is looking kinda dingy so I thought I'd be nice." Bobby smirked. Angel stood up and hugged him.
"Merry Christmas, man." Angel whispered. I nodded and pointed to mine and Jack's box.
"Open ours now." I smiled. Angel winked at me and picked the box up. He pulled the box of the lid and laughed out loud again. He held up the box of white strips Jack had got.
"That was Jack's idea!" I yelled before he could come over and attack me. Angle reached over and punched Jack in the arm and I walked over to hand him his real present. I watched him open it and smile softly.
"That's from me actually. Jack has something for you in the back." I told him softly, as he flipped through the book. While he was overseas Evelyn saved all the letters he wrote home and when I found some old poems she wrote for him, I decided to put them into a book with pictures of him and her through the years.
"I love it, Diddle." he whispered, blinking back tears. I walked over to him and kissed his head. He laughed a little when he finally reached the back page.
"Thanks Jackie." he smiled as he picked up the silver chain and dog tag. He looked at the tag closely and saw on one side a faded image of me at my birthday and on the other a picture of Sofi.
"In case you ever have to go back. You'll have both of them with you." Jack told him. Angel reached over and hugged him before sliding it around his neck. I smiled and walked over to the tree.
"Now Bobby, this is from all three of us. Me, Jack and Ang." I smiled and pushed a big box over to him with my foot. He looked at all of us oddly and then looked down at the box before kneeling down. I ripped the paper off and used his knife to cut the tape on the box itself. He threw his head down when he looked inside.
"Are you kidding me?" he chuckled. I shook my head.
"Me and Jack saw it and had to get it. Ang threw in some money after we bought it to help for the amount." I smiled.
"How much was it?" he asked.
"Hey, now don't be asking that. It's not about the price, it's about the thought." Jack added in. Bobby smirked and pulled it out.
"Mr. Beer." he read aloud. He pulled out the mini keg and set it down. "Do you know how to do it?" he asked.
"Yeah, you put some water in it and mix in the beer packet. I think you let it set for about a week and then you bottle it. You leave it bottled for a week and then you can drink it. They have all kind of flavors. Ale and lights. It's supposed to be good." I said, sitting down next to him on the floor.
"You just can't sell it." Angel added.
"Yeah, that's illegal. But you can drink it for yourself." I smiled proudly.
"I guess that means Sofi gets a break from my beer runs, huh?" he joked. "Thanks, guys. I will definitely put this to use." he leaned over to hug me and I kissed his cheek.
"Now time for Jack's." Angel yelled and walked over to the closet. He looked at Jack before smiling. "You ready? This is from me, Bobby and Emilie." Jack sent me a little glare and I looked away innocently.
"Yeah, I'm ready." Jack smiled. Angle opened the closet and Jack's jaw nearly broke off. "Is that a 513?" he yelled and stood up to go to Angel. "A PRS model 513? You've got to be kidding me! These guitars go for at least 3,200."
"Hence, why we all pitched in to get it for you." Bobby smirked. Jack looked at all of us and smiled.
"Thanks, this is amazing." he smiled holding the new guitar up.
"I picked the color!" I smiled, standing up.
"I figured." he smirked and brushing his thumb across the strings. "Thank you guys."
"No problem, Jackie." Angel said patting his shoulder. "Now I do believe it's time for Diddle to open hers." I smiled sweetly and sat down as they grabbed my presents.
"This is from me." Angel smiled and handed me a box. I opened it and gaped at it.
"Angel you didn't have to." I whispered and picked up the new laptop.
"I know you need one for school. You take a lot of notes and I know you hate writing them down so I got you this." he smiled.
"Thanks, Angel." I smiled and hugged his neck.
"Mine!" Bobby yelled and handed me another box. I opened it and gaped again. "Don't say I didn't have to."
"I wasn't." I whispered and picked up the new camera.
"I haven't seen you take a single picture since I've been home." he told me softly. "Now use it. I paid 500 for that damn thing." he added. I laughed and kissed his cheek again.
"Thanks, Bobby." I said and placed the camera back in the box. I looked past him to a smirking Jack. He crooked his finger at me and wiggled it. I walked over to him and sat next to him on the couch throwing my legs over his. He slowly set a tiny velvet box in my lap and smiled. My heart beat faster as I looked at it.
"Jack, I thought-"
"Just open it." he whispered. I peeled the ribbon off and slowly opened the tiny box. Tears filled my eyes as I looked at the it. It was a 14 kt. white gold band with two heart shaped diamonds meeting together in the middle.
"I figured if I can't give you anything more right now, I can at least promise you." he whispered. I looked at him and smiled. He picked the promise ring up and slipped it on the finger next to my ring finger. "I promise that I will try to give you more and I promise I will always love you. No matter what." he smiled. I leaned down and kissed him softly.
"That better be a promise ring." Angel warned.
"It is." I sighed, smiling.
"Good because I don't remember Jack asking me for your hand in marriage." Angel joked. We all laughed and I tucked my head into Jack's neck.
"Well, Merry Christmas everybody." Bobby announced and stood up. "Now how about a game of hockey?"
"I'll go." Angel said standing up. "Jackie, Em?"
"I'd go if I could play but I think I'll rest." he told them. I nodded and looked over at them.
"I'll pass for now." I told them. They nodded and Angle yelled for Sofi.
"You coming, babe?" I heard Bobby sigh and start yelling again.
"Don't invite her!" he yelled.
"Oh, Bobby!" she yelled as she followed them outside. I laughed and snuggled into Jack's side.
"This was one interesting day." he stated, running a hand through my hair. I nodded and nuzzled his neck with my nose and lips.
"Yes, it has." I whispered. I felt him shiver and shift a little. I smirked and slowly moved one leg over his lap and sat down. He smirked up at me and placed a hand on the back of neck, pulling me down for another kiss. I moved into him more as he deepened the kiss and snaked his hands up the back of my shirt. I only pulled back when he went to pull it off.
"Not here." I whispered and stood up, pulling him with me. I ran upstairs and flung his bedroom door open. I didn't know who close he was behind me until I turned around and his lips crashed onto mine. He kicked the door shut with his good leg and pushed me over to his bed, lips still attached to mine. I tugged on his shirt and he reluctantly pulled his lips of mine so I could pull it off. My hands traced up his stomach to his chest. My fingers and eyes stopped in the four inch scar on his shoulder. I traced it lightly and let out a shaky breath. He grabbed my hands and made me look up at him.
"Don't think about it." he whispered and leaned down to kiss me softly. The rush we were feeling a minute ago was still there but it wasn't as hurried. He slowly peeled my clothes off me and kissed his way up and down my body, remembering what it felt like. Even the tiniest kiss on my chest or stomach pushed a gasp from my lips. The feeling of his skin on mine again was almost enough to send me over the edge right there.
"Jack." I moaned, when his fingers hooked around the edge of my panties and pulled them down. I looked down to see him smirking as he pulled them over my feet and threw them down. He kissed the top of my foot before standing to take his pants off. He didn't waste time though, he let the boxers go with them.
"Still on the pill?" he asked. I nodded and leaned up to grab his hands. I pulled him down on top of me and smiled. He settled himself between my legs and snaked one arm under me.
"I love you." he whispered in my ear. I opened my mouth to say it back but he stopped me by pushing into me. I let out a long gasp and bit my bottom lip.
"God Jack." I moaned. He smirked down at me and leaned down to capture my lips with his. I tangled my fingers tightly into his hair as he pumped inside of me. He broke our kiss to bury his face in my neck and pulled my closer to him with the arm he had wrapped around me. His other hand was firmly pressed into my hip, steadying me as we meet each other in the most intimate way. I release his hair and raked my nails down his shoulders and back. Both of us knew it wouldn't be too long before we reached our limit. It had been way too long and had waited was patiently as possible but time had taken it's toll.
"I vow to never go that long without sex again." I promised, breathless as he rolled off of me. He chuckled and pulled me to his side.
"I'm going to hold you to that." he promised back. I laughed and looked up at him.
"I don't doubt that for one second."
We left Bobby and Angel's after they got back. When we got to her place she walked in the room and passed out. I wanted to do the same thing but for some reason I was wide awake.
"Where the hell does she keep the pens?" I muttered, snatching every drawer open to try and find a pen. I had flipped through the television stations but found nothing so the next logical thing for me to do was to write. I had this song and melody that would not leave me alone and I had to get it out.
I finally pulled a drawer out and found a pen laying on top of a bunch of papers. I sighed and picked it up. I was about to close it but a tiny yellowed piece of paper caught my eye. I picked it up and realized it was the address that Evelyn had saved for Emilie.
14232 Rolland Dr.
Salem, Mass.
I closed the drawer and walked over to the kitchen table staring at the paper. Emilie had told me she got Green to run it but didn't recognize the owner's name. And the last time she lived in Salem was with her parents, so she didn't recall the street name. He wasn't sure why she didn't want to go see about the address but she made sure to tell them that she wasn't ready. If Evelyn kept it from her for this long, there was a reason. She wanted to focus on us and I was okay with that but this needed to be solved soon.
I tucked the paper in my pocket and slid his notebook over to him. He opened it to the first clean page and then grabbed his guitar. He closed his eyes before tuning the guitar. He needed to find the song and the melody again.
"When you feel all alone and the world has turned its back on you. Give me a moment please to tame your wild, wild heart. I know you feel like the walls are closing in on you. It's hard to find relief and people can be so cold, when darkness is upon your door and you feel like you can't take anymore." I sang softly.
I strummed the guitar and stopped to pick up the pen and write down the first few lines. I sat there for about an hour and a half before I heard the soft padding of Emilie's feet coming down the hall.
"Hey." she whispered, walking into the kitchen. I closed my notebook and set my guitar down. She smiled when I opened my arms and waved her to come sit in my lap. "What were you writing?" she asked.
"Nothing, just fiddling around." I told her. She looked up at me and smirked.
"Is it a secret?" she asked.
"Yes, it's a secret." I chuckled and kissed her head. "I was thinking earlier."
"Did you hurt yourself?" she asked, stifling a yawn. I pinched her butt and laughed when she squeaked.
"Seriously, I was thinking earlier." I told her again.
"About what, babe?" she asked.
"We need a vacation." I stated. She giggled in my neck and nodded.
"Yes, we do. But we don't have the money nor the time to go on vacation." she told me.
"Well, not to Hawaii for a week but we can get out of Detroit for a little bit." I suggested.
"I start school in two weeks." she reminded me.
"You have a lap top and they offer online courses." I told her. She sat up in my lap and looked at me.
"You really did think about this, huh?" she asked.
"I think we need it." I told her honestly. She looked at me for a minute and leaned back into me.
"Where would we go?" she asked. I took a deep breath and let it out before answering her.
"Massachusetts." I told her simply. "Salem, Boston, Dorchester. All the places you lived."
"Why?" she asked, quietly.
"Because I want to see where you grew up. And you haven't been there since Abigail died." I whispered. She didn't move or say anything for a few minutes and I finally lifted her up to look at her. "Talk to me."
"You're going to make me go to the address aren't you?" she asked, softly. I picked her chin up and made her look at me.
"Not if you don't want to." I told her firmly. "I just want to get out of Detroit for a while and let you see your parents again and Abigail. You've seen me and my childhood. Now I wanna see yours." She sniffed a little and nodded.
"Okay." she agreed and looked up at me. "I'd like that." she smiled. I kissed her lips gently and pulled her back to me.
"Good. We'll leave on Sunday." I told her.
"But it's Friday." she reminded.
"I know that. Two days is long enough to pack." I chuckled.
"Where are we going to stay and how are we going to get there?" she asked.
"We are going to drive and we'll get hotel rooms." I told her. "That sound good?" I asked. She sighed and nodded her head against my chest.
"Yes. I've always wanted to go on a road trip." she laughed.
"Well, it will be my pleasure to take you on one." I smirked. "Actually, it'll be my pleasure to-" I chuckled against her hand.
"What has gotten into you?" she asked, amused. I cocked my head to the side and stared at her.
"Do you really want me to answer that?" I asked through her hand. She pinched my arm and settled back into my arms again.
Now I just needed to convince her to go to the address.