Thanks to all who reviewed.
I own nothing. My laptop. And Lydia. That's it. I swear. You can come over and search me. We'll put on some motown and open a bottle of wine!
Chapter Seven - Anybody Wanna Take Me Home?
"Bye house." Lily stood in front of her childhood home, at six thirty am, two days after she got into Fort William, with Jess and Lydia standing either side of her. "I always thought it was small," she said, "but now? Really big. Like I'm losing a huge part of myself." She let out a small sob as tears began to fall down her cheek.
"I know, pet," Lydia pulled her into a hug, "It sucks, right?" Jess glanced at the two girls and indicated to Lydia he would wait in the car.
"Yeah." Lily sighed, nodding her head. She pulled out of the hug and looked back up at the house. "I'm just being silly." She rubbed her nose.
"It's not silly." Lydia smiled as she led Lily to her navy mustang, loaded up with Lily's stuff. Jess was already in the drivers seat, and leaned over to open the passenger side door. "You're doing way better than me." Lydia told Lily as they got in the car, "I didn't even speak to anyone for two months after my parents died."
"Yeah, well, you didn't have you." Lily told her seriously from the back seat.
"Huh? You've lost me." Lydia turned in her seat, throwing her arm over the back of the bench front seat to look at Lily.
"I've had you two helping me." Lily shrugged, "I'm guessing that you had-"
"A bunch of fifteen year olds." Lydia sighed, "Jamie, who was eleven, and my grandma, who made the Dursleys look warm and fuzzy."
"The Durselys?" Lily asked as Jess pulled out of the street.
"Yeah, from 'Harry Potter'. You know, his aunt and uncle."
"I know who they are," Lily smiled, "I just didn't think you would."
"Why?"
"I dunno. You just don't seem like a Potter person."
"Well she is." Jess grinned at Lily in the rear view mirror. "She reads them every year."
"Geek!" Lily poked Lydia's arm.
"What?" Lydia laughed, "I keep hoping they'll change, and no one dies, and Charlie Weasley becomes real and marries me!"
"You're kids would be really ginger." Lily said in mock concern.
"Thus cementing my life long dream of being Molly Weasley in reality."
"You'd have to learn to cook more than breakfast." Jess grinned at her.
"Well she had magic! I can't compete with magic!"
Jess and Lily started laughing at Lydia, who then pouted and turned in her seat to look out the window.
"Come on, we're just teasing." Jess reached over and tried to hold her hand.
"Don't care. You're mean and raining on my 'Living in the Wizarding World' fantasy." She replied, not looking at him, shaking off his hand.
"You're crazy. You know that right?" Jess smirked.
"I'm aware." Lydia turned to look at him. "How long am I gonna be in this car?"
"Seven and a half hours to Flagstaff." Lily checked her map and itinerary.
"Ugh. Wake me up when it's my turn to drive." Lydia grabbed a pillow from the back seat, and settled in to sleep, her back against the car door, her bare feet in the middle of the front seat and her knees against the back of the seat. She reached forward and turned the radio on.
"Hey!" Lily protested. "You said I could pick the soundtrack."
"Sorry. You have a CD?"
"Here." Lily handed Lydia a CD and then settled herself in the same position as Lydia.
"Ryan Adams? And 'Demolition'? A classic. I think I like you again." Lydia smiled as she put the CD in.
"This is where the summer ends, in a flash of pure destruction, no one wins"
"Night babe." Lydia stretched her leg out and poked Jess with her foot.
"Yeah, night Jess."
"Try not to snore."
"As if we would!" Lydia smiled at Jess and then mouthed 'Are you okay?' to him.
He nodded once and gave her a small smile in return.
"Shut up and go to sleep"
"Do as the song says please." Jess smirked and pointed at the CD player.
"Yes sir!" Lydia saluted before turning her head to face the back of the chair and closing her eyes.
"But they stopped on their way into California. Not when they were leaving." Lydia stirred at the sound of Jess' voice, but kept her eyes closed.
"But they still stopped there. Plus I'm hungry!" She then heard Lily from the back seat.
"Who stopped where?" She asked as she opened her eyes and stretched.
"Welcome back." Jess smiled at her while Lily informed her, "The Joads. They stopped in Needles. And so are we."
"The Joads?" Lydia pushed herself up and looked at Lily. "Like Tom Joad?"
"Yeah." Lily nodded. "Steinbeck."
"No. Springsteen" Lydia told the younger girl, as Jess laughed.
"What are you taking about? John Steinbeck wrote 'Grapes of Wrath'."
"Oh." Lydia rolled her eyes, "You're talking literature."
"Well yeah. What were you talking?"
"Music. Bruce Springsteen sang about 'The ghost of Tom Joad'."
"Oh. So you're not excited about Needles?"
"Only the food bit." Lydia shrugged and checked her watch "Half ten? I've been asleep for four hours?"
"You were tired." Jess told her. "It's okay."
"No." She shook her head. "I'll drive the three hours to...where are we going again?"
"Flagstaff. And it's fine I don't mind." Jess reached over and put his hand on her knee.
Lydia squeezed his hand and smiled before telling him, "I don't care. It's my car and I'm driving."
"Whatever you say." Jess smirked as he drove into Needles.
"Everyone belted?" Lydia glanced at Jess and then back at Lily before starting the ignition of the car. They'd stopped and had breakfast in a small diner, that Lydia proclaimed was nowhere near as good as Luke's, and they were ready to start their journey again.
"So where do I go?" She smiled at Jess.
"Jeez." Jess rolled his eyes at her before pointing ahead, "You need to take the third right onto J street."
"Okay. Flagstaff here we come." Lydia turned onto the street before reached over and turning the radio on. "Oh tune!" She smiled at Jess as she began to sing along with the Sting song on the radio. "Turn the clock to zero, boss. The river's wide, we'll swim across. Started up a brand new day!"
"Just drive Murphy." Jess sighed before pulling out his book and starting to read.
"What are you doing?" She asked reaching for his book.
"I'm trying to read."
"No! You have to tell me where to go."
"Turn left onto the I-40. Keep going until exit 195." Jess took his book back and opened it again.
"I hate you. You know I'm a nervous driver."
"You insisted you drive. Back me up here Lil."
"It's true. But I'll read the map for you. We slept this morning. Give Jess a rest."
"Okay. But-"
"No buts. Just drive." The young blonde laughed as she opened up her map.
"Flagstaff was boring!" Lydia proclaimed the day after as she got back in the car, on the passenger side. She had gotten over her initial excitement over staying at the Hotel Monte Vista, ("You know Clarke Gable has stayed here, and Humphrey Bogart!") when she realised she was staying in a room that had never housed anyone famous.
"Well Albuquerque is next." Lily checked her map. "Five hours to get there. Should we stop, or just drive straight through?"
"We'll go straight. We've eaten and by the time we get there it'll be three. We'll get some food, maybe see a movie?" Jess looked over his shoulder, and pulled out of his parking space.
"Sounds good." Lily smiled.
"Yeah. A movie would be nice tonight." Lydia pulled out a glossy magazine from her bag and opened it near the back. "Now. Horoscopes!" She sing songed as Jess groaned beside her.
"For that, you're first!" She sat up on her knees and proped her arms up on the top on the seat.
"Cancer- They pretend to be tough but it's all an act." She grinned at Lily and then cleared her throat to continue. "Your intuition is so spot-on today that people will accuse you of reading their minds. The problem is that you, on the other hand, seem more elusive than ever. Is it fair that you can guess all their secrets but remain impenetrably shrouded in mystery yourself? Sure it is."
She lowered the magazine slowly and looked at Jess, wide eyed and open mouthed. "That's you. That's totally you."
Jess rolled his eyes and said nothing.
"Mine. Aries. Harmony may come at a high price today, Aries. Stop suppressing your true feelings about your flaky friend or errant lover. The issue can be amended through a straight-up conversation. If you stay mum about your discontent, however, you'll only wind up exploding with resentment or writing off a perfectly good relationship out of frustration. Schedule time for a heart-to-heart, preferably in person."
Lydia grinned at Lily before turning to face Jess. "Jess? Babe we need to have a talk. I really didn't appreciate the way you drank the last of my orange juice at breakfast this morning. I think it shows a certain lack of respect for me."
Jess glanced at her and she gave him a bright smile. "I feel better. Heart-to-heart over. No risk of you losing me now!"
"Great!" Jess deadpanned, focusing again on the road.
"Oh read mine!" Lily asked excitedly.
"Okay. Your birthday's February eighteenth, right?"
"Yeah. Aquarius."
"Okay. Aquarius - the know-alls of the zodiac! Don't confuse the serious discussions currently underway with a sincere interest on the part of others in the plans being considered. They remain unconvinced that they're worthwhile. Frustrating as putting arrangements off is, what you learn will prove of such importance that you'll be thankful you were unable to finalise anything."
She looked over the top of the magazine and the two girls stared at each other.
"You think dying my hair is a bad idea?" Lily asked, referring to a conversation the two had the night before.
"What? I didn't say that!"
"I know. That magazine said it for you!" Lily retorted.
"It's a stupid horoscope." Lydia sighed, "Which, by the way, said that you'll be thankful if you don't do it!"
"You can't stop me!"
"You suit being a blonde." Lydia told her. "Think of Ashley Simpson- she suited blonde way better!"
"You think I've a big nose?"
"I didn't say that!"
"You didn't have to, but everyone knows she only suited the brown hair after she got her nose fixed!"
"Okay, enough!" Jess interrupted, reaching over and taking the magazine of Lydia. "Lucy, Ethel, no more star signs."
"He's right. This is getting ugly." Lydia ran her hand through her hair.
"Yeah. Friends?" Lily offered her hand to Lydia.
Lydia reached forward and shook it. "Friends." She smiled as Jess turned the radio on.
"There, a quiz. You love radio quizzes."
"So do I!" Lily told them.
"Then, knock yourselves out."
"Which guitarist is known as Slowhand?"
"Eric Clapton!" Both girls shouted at the same time.
"Excuse me?" Lydia asked the concierge at the hotel they were staying in.
He pushed his blonde bangs out of his eyes as he looked up from the computer screen. "How can I help?" he smiled.
"Well," Lydia checked his name tag, "Brandon. We were wondering if you could point us in the direction of the nearest movie theatre?"
"Sure. There is a theatre about a twenty minute drive, showing all the new releases, but if you're into old movies The Imperial, two blocks away, is showing a double feature."
"What's the double feature?" Lydia grinned.
"Gregory Peck. 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and 'Roman Holiday'."
Lydia turned to face her husband and his sister. "The double feature!"
"Why do you get to pick? It was my idea." Jess asked her.
"What current movie do you want to see?" She questioned him, her hands firmly on her hips.
"I like 'Mockingbird'." Lily told them. "Never seen the other movie."
"You've never seen 'Roman Holiday'?" Lydia asked her, her eyes wide in shock.
Lily shook her head and Jess told her, "You know, I've never seen it either."
"Okay, double feature it is. How can you not have seen 'Roman Holiday'? It's a classic. My favourite."
"I thought 'How to Steal a Million' was your favourite Audrey movie?" Jess asked her.
"Well, it is. But Audrey and Gregory Peck? Sentimental favourite. I promise you'll love it."
"Fine. Gregory Peck it is."
"Woo!" Lydia celebrated, throwing her hands above her head. "Thank you." She smiled at Jess, putting her arms around his neck and kissing his jaw.
"Ahem!" Lily fake coughed. "Minor present. Less of the PDA please."
"What?" Lydia shrugged, "It's not my fault your brother is totally hot and like the best husband, ever!"
"Jeez." Lily rolled her eyes and took the information about the movies of Brandon. "Come on, it starts in twenty minutes."
"Okay. How have I never seen that before?" Lily walked ahead of Lydia and Jess out of the theatre. She turned to look at them, walking backwards. "It was amazing. Audrey is perfection!"
"Yeah, that's how I feel about her." Lydia smiled. "Have you not seen any of her movies?"
"No." Lily shook her head. "Mom was a Marilyn fan. We watched all her films."
"Well, I have the complete Audrey collection at home. We'll start your education soon."
"Tell me when you are planning this, so I can stay at Truncheon that night." Jess told them, wrapping his arm around Lydia's waist.
"What, don't you love Audrey?" she asked, leaning into him.
"Not as much as you. I don't think anyone does as much as you."
Lydia smiled up at him, and then pressed her hand to her mouth as she yawned. "Where are we heading tomorrow?"
"Tulsa." Lily told her, falling into step with them. "It's a ten hour drive."
"Ten hours?" Lydia looked up at Jess, who confirmed it with a bob of his head. "The next three days are ten hour drives."
"Wow. Guess I'm driving the next couple of days."
"You don't have to." Jess told her.
"I want to. Partnership. That's what marriage is. I mean, we both got drunk and said 'I do', remember?"
"Vaguely. So you're driving?"
"Yes." She nodded. "We'll leave at eight-ish, and get there around seven, giving us an hour to stop for lunch. And I'll take the first shift driving."
"You sure?"
"Yeah," She smiled, "I can then stop for lunch at twelve, meaning I'll drive for four hours and you for six!"
"Right, so all that stuff you harp on about women's rights?"
"Only applies when it's something we want. Right Lil?"
Oh yeah," the younger girl agreed, "you know money, job positions, how we're treated at work or school. When it comes to spiders, jar lids and driving long distance, all you!"
"And I didn't even need to coach her!" Lydia smiled, wrapping her free arm around Lily.
"Women." Jess sighed, as he pulled open the hotel door and held it as the girls walked in.
"Thank you kind sir!" Lydia curtsied and then started to laugh with Lily.
"Bed." Jess ordered them, "We've a long drive tomorrow."
Lydia woke the next day, stretched out in the front seat of her car. Jess was driving and her toes were tucked under his thigh, her knees bent and propped up against the back of the seat..
She had driven, without incident, the four hours she had promised that morning, stopping in the small town of Vega in Texas. During their lunch of hamburgers, fries and cherry cola, Lily broke down into tears locking herself in a bathroom stall. It had taken Lydia the best part of forty minutes to calm her down and convince her to come out. They hit the road an hour later than scheduled and both girls fell asleep as soon as they started the journey, both emotionally exhausted.
As Lydia stirred, Jess felt her feet move under him and he glanced down. "Hey." he whispered.
"Why are you whispering?" She whispered back, keeping her feet under Jess and staying in her horizontal position.
Jess inclined his head to the back seat.
"Sleeping?" Lydia asked, and Jess nodded his head. They stayed silent for a few minutes, Lydia contented to watch Jess' careful look of concentration as he drove.
"How much longer do we have?" She asked breaking their easy silence.
"About an hour and a half."
"Okay. Sorry I've been a lousy road trip partner today, but I'm jus-"
"Lydia," Jess cut her off, "don't freak out or anything, but I love you."
A wide smile spread across Lydia face, but before she had a chance to respond Lily interrupted her thoughts.
"Why would she freak out?"
Jess glanced in his rear view mirror and groaned.
"Not as asleep as you thought she was?" Lydia smiled.
"Nope."
Lily leaned over the front seat and looked down at Lydia. "Why would you freak out?"
Lydia waved her hand to shoo her and then sat up. She pulled her knees to her chest and looked back at Lily. "Because I'm really weird." She grinned.
"Or?" Lily questioned, her arms folded across her chest.
"I just had a little panic attack last time Jess told me he loved me."
"Why?"
"I don't say I love you. Much." Jess looked at Lily in the mirror.
"It's not Jess' thing. The first time he said it, he stumbled over his words so much, and I kept pestering him, he told me I was aggravating instead. So he says that now, and I know what it means. But when he asked me to marry him, the prelude to his proposal was an I love you, and I freaked out. I thought he was going to say his was sick or something."
"Okay that is weird."
"Told you." Lydia smiled.
"So you're okay with being told you're aggravating?"
"Yeah, it's like my very own version of 'Here's looking at you kid'."
"What?" Lily asked, confused.
"'Casablanca'. It's on the list of films I making you watch!"
"Oh okay. You're very aggravating!"
"Thanks. I love you too." She grinned, before looking at Jess. "Love you too, Jessica!" She smiled as she leaned forward and kissed his cheek.
"Hey Lyds?" Jess ran his hand down Lydia's arm as they lay in bed that night.
"What?" Her voice was heavy with sleep as she turned to look at him.
"I meant what I said today."
"That you think Murray from 'Flight of the Conchords' should get his own show?"
"No, in the car. I do love you, for everything. You've been incredible."
"Jess." She reached up and cupped his face, stroking his cheek with her thumb.
"Does it bother you? That I don't say it?"
"No, I know you do. And that's enough."
"Is it?" He asked snaking his arm around her waist, his hand on the small of her back.
"Yes, Rhett Butler only told Scarlett that he loved her once. If it's enough for her, it's enough me."
"He left her."
"Because she thought she loved Ashley. I, however, am constantly reminding you of my love and devotion."
"So we're good?"
"More than good. I say it enough for both of us." Lydia whispered as she reached up and caught Jess' lips with hers.
"God, I've missed you." Jess mumbled into her neck.
"How?" Lydia laughed, "I haven't left your side in days."
"Yeah, but I meant sex." Jess told her bluntly.
"Oh. That." Lydia smiled and Jess kissed her neck. "Babe, Lil's right next door."
"She's always gonna be right next door. You wanna stop having sex until she goes to college?"
"No." Lydia smiled as Jess ran his hands up her back, under her, technically his, t-shirt. She pulled back and looked him straight in the eye. "You have to be quiet though." She warned.
"What? You're the loud one." Jess kissed the sensitive spot below her ear.
"Whatever." She smiled, rolling her eyes, as Jess pulled her shirt over her head.
"Thirty minutes to Philly!" Lydia smiled back at Lily. "I can't wait to get home."
Their past two days of travelling had past without incident. Driving from Tulsa to Indianapolis, and then from Indianapolis they were headed to Philadelphia. The days in car had been whiled away playing twenty questions, various alphabet games and Lydia playing her dad's favourite of making Jess and Lily guess what band was on the radio.
"Yeah, it'll be nice not living out of a suitcase." Lily said, stretching her legs. "You wanna play one last game before we get there?"
"Sure." Lydia grinned, "You pick. And go first."
"Okay." Lily pushed her hair out of her eyes and sat up, indian style. "First-last letters. Bands. The Who."
"Oppenhiemer." Lydia said and then glanced at Jess, who generally didn't partake in the girls games.
"Radiohead." He sighed and Lydia grinned and squeezed his arm in thanks.
"David Bowie."
"Oh jeez." Jess groaned as he pulled into their street.
"What?"
"Did you tell Mathew what time we'd be getting here at?
"I gave him a rough time. But I said I'd call when we got home. Why?"
"We've a welcome party." Jess pointed up the street.
Lydia and Lily looked where he was pointing and saw Mathew, Chris and Simon standing outside their apartment building.
They pulled up beside them and before Jess could cut the engine, Mathew had pulled open Lydia passenger side door. "Sharona lives again! Welcome home!"
"Thanks!" Lydia got out of the car and hugged her friends. "You guys didn't have to be here." She told them as they each hugged Jess in turn.
"We wanted to." Simon told her. "This must be Lily." He nodded at the young blonde who had exited the car last.
"Yes," Lydia smiled, putting her arm round Lily's shoulder, "Lily, this is Mathew, Simon and Chris. Math and Chris work with Jess. And Si is Chris' lover."
"Oh, you make it sound to sordid!" Simon swatted Lydia's arm.
"Hi." Lily smiled at them.
The boys all lifted the luggage from the trunk of the car, a suitcase each, and were hauling them up the stairs to the apartment, with Lydia and Lily both carrying a small overnight bag each. Just as Mathew and Lydia were about go into the building they heard a voice shout out.
"Oh rats! I missed them!"
Mathew headed up the stairs as Lydia turned to see Rory coming down the street, a cup of coffee in one hand, a grocery bag in the other. "Rory? What are you doing here?"
"I came to see you. I phoned a couple of days after Mathew's birthday, but there was no answer. And I didn't have your cell numbers, so I phoned Truncheon and Mathew told me what happened. I asked him to keep me informed and when he said you'd be home today and came to greet you."
"Oh okay." Lydia smiled at her as they began to climb the stairs.
"How's Jess doing?"
"He's Jess. He hasn't talked about it. Yet."
"And Lily?"
"She's doing better. She still retreats into herself, but generally, she's doing good."
They reached the apartment and the door was propped open. They walked in and Lily bounded towards them. "My room is incredible!"
"It is?" Lydia asked, her features etched with confusion. "It was magnolia when we left." She said as they walked to the couch and sat down.
"Simon painted it." Jess said as he joined them. "Hey Rory."
"Hi." Rory smiled at him.
"He painted it? You painted it?" She asked Simon as he exited what was now Lily's bedroom.
"Yeah, Paris. I figured every girl loves Paris." He shrugged. "And if you don't we can change it."
"I love it!" Lily exclaimed as Lydia mouthed 'Thank you' to Simon.
"Are you Mathew's girlfriend?" Lily's gaze suddenly stopped at Rory.
"No!" Rory told her.
"This is Rory, Lil. She's an old friend of Jess'." Lydia explained.
"Oh, hi." Lily said before turning to Jess. "Didn't you used to go out with a Rory? The one you were totally in love with? With the book, and it didn't work out because of some stupid blonde guy?"
"It's the same girl, Lil. Well done."
"Oh." Lily gave him a sheepish grin. "Sorry."
"Hey. Question?" Lydia tried to break the awkwardness in the room. "Why does my house smell of food?"
"'Cause I made dinner." Mathew said as he came from the kitchen, holding a large dish of lasagna. "Rory, you get the wine?"
"I did indeed indeed captain!" Rory saluted and pulled out the two bottles of wine from the grocery bag she had.
"Excellent." Mathew set the dish on the coffee table, and returned to the kitchen to help Chris bring in the plates, glasses and cutlery.
Jess sat at Lydia feet, and rubbed her calf.
"It's so good to be home." Lydia sighed as she took a sip of the glass of wine Chris handed her, and Jess squeezed her leg in agreement.
Bip bip!
Reviews are love. Even if they are telling where I'm going wrong. I always feel like I am. Going wrong, that is.