Fic: No Place Like Home (6/6)
Author: Gardenia1786
Rating: PG-13 maybe?
Feedback: Yes please:)
Disclaimer: the song is "I Could Not Ask For More" by Edwin McCain
A/N: Well, this is it for this one, thanks to everyone who read it, and a big, huge thanks to those who sent feedback! It was much appreciated.
A/N2: I actually put Jessie's POV first. Huh. Who would've thought.
As always, un-beta'd
--------------------------------------
Sleep.
Sleep fled from me that night. The prospect of me going back to my current 'home' was the one thing that kept me from it. Home. Australia wasn't home, this was home. Here, with Katie in my arms.
You know that saying that people always talk about? Yeah you do, the one that goes something like 'home is where the heart is'. (See? Told you that you knew it.) Well, that's the truth. Katie has my heart, so I am only really at home with her.
Once, a long time ago, home was where my family was. I would go with my dad, or my mom, anywhere. But what I would have once done willingly, I am now forced to do. Mom had too many obligations here so that she couldn't take care of me, and the decision from them both was mutual. I was to go live with dad and Lily in Australia. I fought it as much as I could. At one point and time, Katie and I had formulated a plan where I could live with her and her family, but when we presented it as an option, it was immediately turned down. I was stuck. Being a minor, I was legally bound to stay with one of my parents. Two more years, and I shall be free. But two years is a long time, and I can't help but wonder will happen in those two years? Will Katie and I still be together? It hurts to even think that a break-up could be possible.
I shiver as if a cold wind had caressed my back. Katie, my sweet Katie, was lying here sleeping next to me, all wrapped up in the blankets, and her legs entwined with mine. Her arm was under my head and it felt so good just to be there, like that, with her. I couldn't help but smile. She was so adorable... no, that wasn't even right. She was beautiful, and I know that I am the luckiest person in the entire world to have her as my girlfriend... but even more than that, she is my soul mate. She knows me inside and out, and even though we may have an ocean in between us most of the time, that fact will always be so.
It's hard not to smile around her, she is just so intoxicating. Everything about her, her scent, smile, touch, taste, everything.
I enjoyed just lying there next to her. Listening to her steady breathing, but also the rain. The rain was wonderful. It reminds me of a song... what was it again? I'm trying to remember. Oh yes. It goes something like:
Lying here with you
Listening to the rain
Smiling just to see
A smile on your face
I starting humming, and Katie opened her eyes and sleepily smiled at me. I began to sing the lyrics.
And these are the moments
I thank God that I'm alive
And these are the moments
I'll remember all my life
You're all I've waited for
And I could not ask for more
I could see a tear forming in her eye, she was touched.
Looking in your eyes
Seeing all I need
Everything you are
Is everything in me
These are the moments
I know heaven must exist
These are the moments
I know all I need is this
I've found all I've waited for
And I could not ask for more
I closed my eyes, and continued.
I could not ask for more than this time together
Could not ask for more than this love with you
Every prayer has been answered
Every dream has come true
Right here in this moment
Is right where I was meant to be
Here with you
Here with me
No, I could not ask for more than this love you gave me
Cause it's all I've waited for
And I could not ask for more
I opened my eyes, and stared right into her green ones. She looked so peaceful, so serene, so beautiful. Slowly we moved closer together, till I felt her lips brush up against mine. 'Yes, this is home'
--------------------
"Jess?" I called from my comfortable spot on the living room couch. "Come on! We're going to be late!" I shook my head. This seemed to be an ongoing thing, her being late. I feigned mad, but honestly, it was so cute, because everything about her is cute. I shook my head again and smiled. I am so whipped.
The smile quickly faded when I remembered what she was going to be late for. Her plane ride home.
"Scratch that, Jessie, take all the time in the world." She walked out of my room with her suitcase and frowned at me.
"Why do you say that?" I turned to look at her
"Because if you take more time, then you'll be late. And if you're late, you'll miss your flight. And if you miss your flight, than you have to stay here. With me." A huge grin broke out on her face, and she came over and seated herself in my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck and laying her head on my shoulder. Well. I could sure get used to this.
"I don't want to go either. I want to stay here with you. Forever." I heard her voice break and realized then that I had to be the strong one here. I ran my fingers through her hair.
"I know, I know, I want you to stay here forever too. But you can't right now. I wish you could, you have no idea. But someday soon, you will be. You are still planning to come to college here, right?" She moved her head from it's resting place on my shoulder and stared me straight in the eye.
"Of course I am. No question about it," she said firmly. I smiled and shrugged.
"Well, then when you do, you come and live with me. We'll be roommates." Her eyes lit up, and she hugged me tight.
"We'll get through this, Jess. We'll get through this." I promised, whispering into her ear. She nodded.
"I know we will." A grin crept across my face, and I started to tickle her a little bit. Can't be too serious for too long, you know.
"Come on, let's get you packed so you won't miss your flight home!" I said, hoping to earn a smile from Jessie who was trying to catch her breath. As soon as I said that though, she turned and looked at me with a dead serious expression on her face.
"Baby, don't you know? I am home." She said. I do have to admit, I was a bit confused by that statement... I mean, home is sorta where you live and all. I must have had a confused look on my face because she continued with a sparkle in her eyes.
"I was thinking about it this morning, while you were sleeping, about home and all that stuff. I remembered that old saying 'home is where the heart is', and I realized how true that is. I'm only home with you. And let me tell you, there really is no place like home."
"Jess, I..." I was speechless. I was trying to formulate a sentence when my lips found other things they were useful for. She kissed me, long and passionately. Somewhere along the line I found myself on my back, and I'm not too sure how I got there. Well, I was a little busy in case you didn't notice. Her mouth felt so good on mine... all thoughts were slipping. She put her hands under my shirt. Thoughts? What were they? Her hands massaged my skin, sending shivers up my spine, and worked their way up my stomach... I couldn't help but close my eyes and moan into her mouth. She broke the kiss and we both were breathing heavily.
"I want..." She enunciated each syllable carefully then closed her eyes, trying to gather her thoughts. Is she trying to tell me what I think she is trying to tell me? Does she want to... oh my. Oh how I want to, but the time... OH CRAP! The time! I shot straight up, nearly knocking her over and looked at the clock.
"Damn!"
"What?" She said, looking concerned.
"The time!!"
"What?"
"Airport, plane, you, Australia" The make out session I just participated in was having lasting effects on my brain. Singer! Coherent sentences!
"What? Oh wait... oh no, plane? What time is it?" She looked over at the digital clock on the VCR. 10:25am. She realized what I had just figured out, the fact that her plain was scheduled to leave the airport in less than an hour, and it took a good twenty minutes to get there.
"Crap..." She whined, dropping her head onto my shoulder. I laid back down, and held her close, both of us trying to get some sort of control over our bodies.
"We'll just have to save this for some other time, ok?" I said, trying to make light of the situation. She propped herself up so she could look me in the eye as a smile crossed her face.
"Come back with me, on the plane." I furrowed my brow, not quite understanding... oh... oh that...
"Ha! You want both of our first times to be on a plane?" She grinned at me suggestively.
"What better way than joining the mile-high club on your first time?" Ohhh, so much for getting my body back under control... just thinking about it... wow.
"Please, Jess, don't tempt me. It's going to be hard enough to get out of this apartment, much less leave you at the airport." She nodded, accepting the defeat.
"Ok, ok, yeah, I guess you're right, as usual," she conceded. I grinned.
"Unfortunately, for once," I said, rolling my eyes. She laughed a bit as she sat up and got off me.
"I guess we really should go then, huh?"
"Yeah, I guess so."
"Bummer."
"You're telling me."
-
I drove up to the curb of the terminal. "I wish I could go inside and see you off." I said as I squeezed her hand. She nodded absentmindedly out the window before turning to look at me. There were tears in her eyes.
"Oh baby, don't cry! You'll be back, before you know it! There's Christmas, and spring break, and summer... all of those things, and who knows, I may actually get out there sometime!" She nodded as a tear fell down her cheek. Right then it felt as if my heart were breaking. I hated to see her cry. I leaned over and enveloped her in a hug. By this point, I was starting to tear up as well.
"I love you, Jessica Elizabeth Sammler." She sniffled and pulled away to face me.
"I love you too, Katherine Anne Singer." I put my hand on her cheek, and she kissed my palm and held it there. I turned to look at the clock. She had 10 minute before her plane would start boarding. I managed to smile amid my tears.
"You better be going, don't want you to be late." She nodded and wiped her eyes. We both got out of the car and went around to the side to get her suitcase out. I pulled it out and set it on the ground, where one of the attendants took care of it. We stood facing each other. I stepped closer to her and leaned down to give her a kiss. She wrapped her arms around my neck, and we both got lost in it. Nothing else existed right then. About a minute later (which was way too soon) we were thrust back into reality by a car horn blaring in the back ground. I offered her a smile.
"I guess that's my cue."
"Yeah, I guess it is."
"Take care of yourself, Jess. Come back soon."
"You too, Katie, and I will. You know I will." I nodded. She meant it, and I knew it.
"I love you."
"I love you too." I held onto her hand as she began to walk away, and our hands barely touched, and then we let go.
"Goodbye!"
"Goodbye."
I watched her walk into the airport, and until she disappeared from my sight before I got back into my car and drove away. I thought about what she said earlier, about home and all that. Jessie did have my heart, so when she left, it sort of felt like I was leaving too in a way, or like home was leaving me.
I smiled.
She was right.
There really was no place like home.
----------------------------------
THE END.