Homer leaned against his surfboard, enjoying the mid October sun as the waves tumbled and fell around him while he watched Jenna grab a wave and start surfing a few yards in front of him. It was his day off and during most mornings on his days off, he would join Jenna for a nice round of surfing on the beach until around lunch time when the air got a little too hot, or until Jenna had to head off to work. For the past two years, Jenna had taught Homer some of the more leisurely things to do while living on an island and surfing was one of them. Of course Homer was not as good as Jenna, but he tried and enjoyed just going out and having a good time.
At the moment, Jenna was catching some pretty good waves; a few times she would get airborne for just a few seconds before landing again with perfect stride and without falling. Something he had not mastered yet and something he was a bit too shy to try at. He just liked taking the small waves and riding them for a few feet before losing balance and falling in the water. Of course he had to watch out for the reefs, after nearly breaking his ankle once he was more cautious about where he rode.
Homer let out a sigh, Jenna sure looked lovely just surfing those waves, he couldn't help but smile as he watched her. Still though, he often thought about Marge and how she was doing and this morning was no exception. As he watched Jenna, he wondered if Marge would be nimble enough to try and surf, she sure had the figure for it, well maybe any way. Maybe she gained some weight. Homer shook that thought away, of course Marge would not gain weight, unless she broke up with Artie and got upset and started eating snacks. Then she would look like her sisters, Homer made a disgusted face just thinking about that and quickly tried to shake the thought of her looking like her sisters out of his mind.
"Now what was that face all about?"
Homer looked to his left and was surprised to find Barney making his way through the sand toward Homer. Of course he was off fishing duty that morning so it made sense that he was out and about, but it was rare to see him on the beach. Naturally Homer got a little worried about this and jumped up just in case help was needed right away and to answer his question.
"Oh just thinking about things, what's going on with you?" Homer asked.
"Well you won't believe who just showed up at the bar," Barney replied with a smile.
Homer's heart skipped a beat, would Marge come all the way down here for some rest and relaxation? It would be a stretch and a really cool fantasy, but how would she know about Moe's bar? And if she was down here, she would probably go to one of the better bars in town. Maybe Lenny or Carl showed up, Barney was always talking to them on the phone about something, so maybe they came down for a surprise visit.
"Lenny?" Homer said a bit excited.
"No Lenny's actually studying some sort of science degree so he can work at the new nuclear plant back in Springfield," Barney replied.
"Carl?" asked Homer.
"Nope," Barney said.
Homer scratched his chin; he could not think of anyone else back home besides Carl, Lenny or Marge and Marge was just a long stretch. "Who then?"
"Mick!" Barney replied cheerfully.
Homer's face lit up at the thought of the original helper of Moe returning to Key West once again. It made him wonder if he was staying long or just visiting. If he stayed long he would have warned them all ahead of time that he was coming back. But then again he probably wanted to surprise them either way. Homer knew as well that Moe's old chum had a lot of stories to tell and was most likely ready to see his sister and friends again. It was probably now time to back up and make his way back to Moe's house, Jenna though seemed to have found the right wave and wasn't leaving any time soon.
"Let him know we'll be up in a bit," Homer replied as he grabbed his board and ran out into the water to grab one more wave and maybe chat with Jenna on the water. She was now sitting on her board, waiting for him to make his way over.
"What did Barney need?" Jenna asked.
"Oh nothing special, he just wanted to let me know that a certain someone is waiting for us at the bar," Homer said with a smile as he sat on the board and let himself float on the water with Jenna beside him.
"Oh is someone waiting for me to play the piano and you to make them a favorite drink. The bar's not even open for a few more hours though," Jenna said as she balanced herself after nearly falling into the water.
"Well this is a special someone," Homer said with a smile.
"The president's here?" Jenna asked.
Homer laughed; she had been around him so much now that she was starting to sound like him when she was surprised by something. He liked that about her too; she got easily excited like him and usually had his manners when she got really confused. Something the other guys usually laughed at before being punched in the shoulder. At the moment, it was no exception, while Homer laughed, Jenna shoved Homer with her foot making him lose his balance and sending him into the water. Homer quickly came back up and leaned against his surfboard while he tossed his hair out of his face.
"Well if you really want to know I think we should have a race to shore," Homer said while he got back on the board.
"Oh I can totally kick your butt," Jenna replied with a grin as she leaned forward and waited for the right wave. Homer did the same and watched every move Jenna made as they waited out the perfect wave.
Finally Jenna found the right one and paddled forward to get good momentum. Homer followed suit and soon both were on their boards gliding back onto land with the wave. It wasn't a very big one and Jenna did that on purpose, she wanted to make it easier for Homer so he could end the ride with her. Of course she would find a way to win and she did just that before the wave dissipated by bumping against Homer and once again sending him into the water. Homer dragged the surf board back on the beach while Jenna stood there waiting for him grinning with the evil grin she usually gave him when she liked to flirt with him. She did it all the time while they were in the water. Of course Homer didn't mind, he rather enjoyed the silly games.
"So Mr. Loser, who's at the bar?"
"Oh no one special, just a certain musician who left for greater things and gave us a job," Homer said nonchalantly.
Jenna's jaw dropped, realizing what Homer was saying, her brother was back and she was just playing around ignoring him. Without saying a word, Jenna ran up the beach as quickly as she could, a big feat especially with all the sand in the way, leaving Homer behind before he realized that he needed to follow her. Surfing was over now for the day; Jenna would be spending time with her brother now and hearing all about his adventures. They did talk from time to time, but they were usually short conversations with him saying that things were doing well and that he was having a great time with the band. He told her he wanted to save his stories for when he returned to the bar.
When they arrived, they found Mick sitting on the edge of the stage, Moe, Barney and Roger's girlfriend Karyn were standing nearby while Roger was standing in the middle of the stage, playing his guitar and hoping to impress Mick. Apparently he was doing a good job because Mick kept nodding his head to the music and enjoying his time with his old friends. He didn't even see Jenna until she came out of nowhere and tackled him in a big hug.
"Hey how's my little sister doing?" Mick said as he bear hugged her in return.
"I didn't know you were coming back!" Jenna said happily while not wanting to let him go.
"Well our manager is giving us a year off due to some disagreements with a member of the band. Our other guitar player, Steven, well he got all upset one day about how we never treated him right so he stormed off the stage and refused to play with us for a week. He eventually returned but he was never the same, always acting like he didn't care about our future. One night we got into this huge fight in our hotel while in Chicago. Fists flew, things were broken, including a lovely bed post, and words were said so the next morning our manager fired Steven and told us because of our behavior we have been suspended for a year while he finds another guitar player. Truthfully though I don't think he has to look very far."
Mick looked up at Roger as he said the last words, Roger just smiled and continued to play a riff while the boys continued to crowd around Mick as they wanted to know everything that had gone on since he left for a better life.
"So what kind of stories do ya have for us dere," Moe replied and still smiling from ear to ear.
"Yeah where did you go? What sights did you see?" Homer asked.
"Any hot women?" Barney asked.
"One at a time boys, I know it's been a while, but I went all over, even international. Got to play in some sweet bars, a few arenas and almost every night I had a lady by my side."
The boys all looked at each other, shocked that Mick had had a great time without them, and all of them hung on to every word he was going to say. But Moe of course stopped him from saying anything, for he had other plans in mind.
"Well Mick, I think you should share your story with the bar patrons as well, I know some of them are still talking about you and your mean swordfish fillets. So as soon as we open you'll take center stage and give us some good stories with your guitar," Moe replied while at the same time began to push the boys toward the kitchen. They would be able to hear too, but they would be working while doing it.
"I would be happy to do so Moe, even though the boys and my sister are eager," Mick replied as he gave his sister one more hug. "You got room back home right? I think the boys took mine." Homer, Barney and Roger gave a sly grin before they all disappeared behind the counter.
The bar opened a few hours later, Mick was sitting on the stage, his guitar on his lap and drinking a rum and coke. He watched as the customers made their way in, most were there to see Mick after learning from word of mouth that he had returned and wanted to see the great guitar player again. The boys were busy working in the kitchen watching as the place seemed to get busier every minute and hoping they had enough fish for those who wanted some. They did have enough steak but people loved the fish and Barney was usually the best at making them. But after about an hour, they noticed that the people coming in seemed to be more interested in having a drink and seeing Mick again. Something that the guys didn't mind doing because it didn't take so long.
After about an hour of watching people enter the bar, Mick knew it was time to start telling everyone about his time out there and the great things he did. He sat on a tall stool on the middle of the stage and strung his guitar as he began to talk about his adventure, in a ballad like tune.
"Savanna, Baltimore, Birmingham, Cedar Rapids, Nashville, Tulsa, Boston, San Francisco, Denver, Santa Fe, Miami, Cleveland, Omaha, and even as far north as Anchorage. These were many of the places I visited the first year. Amazing places my friend, the food was amazing and so were the girls."
Mick smiled as he continued to play, nodding his head up and down for a few moments as if he was trying to remember the amazing nights in the many towns he fell in love with.
"Let me tell you about the girl I met in Tulsa, cowgirl, married to her horse, but still looking for the right kind of love. She sat by the stage of that run down bar and would not take her eyes off me. I shared some love songs in that bar and of course once I was finished for the evening she walked up to me and told me she was lonely. She took me to her house on a lonely stretch of road and made some sweet lovin' that night. Until I told her I was married to my work and that I had no interest in going further. She threw a pillow at me and locked me out. I slept in the barn that night, next to a cow and an old billy goat. Apparently that goat liked me; I was sleeping right beside her that morning, of course that didn't work out too well either."
Mick winked while everyone in the bar laughed at his silly little ballad. Mick nodded his approval and strung his guitar for a minute as if thinking about what to tell next. Finally his face lit up and he began to string a new rhythm for about a minute before starting his story.
"Ah San Francisco, a beautiful city with dazzling faces and memorable places that leave you awestruck and curious. I was there for a week one fine spring; I played four gigs at this one bar and met some amazing people. Including a girl I will call her Erica. Ah Erica, your name sounds like a soft gentle breeze, but I didn't actually meet her at the bar. Instead I met her in the emergency room as I waited for our drummer to get stitched up after he got in a fight. We talked about things other than him that night and we knew we had something right."
It was then that Mick began singing a ballad that he had written while on the road. It was a story of great friendship between two lovers for a week. They explored the city together, learned about the culture and dreamed of something more. But Mick's ambition made him leave her behind one rainy afternoon as he headed up the coast. He told how he wished to see her again and thought of her often while on the road. Finally, he got his chance to see her again nearly a year later when he was called back to the great streets of San Francisco. But heartbreak followed for when he saw her again, she was with another man and happier. And that's when Mick's heart broke.
In the moments that Homer listened to that song, he started to cry; he knew what it was like for a man to be in love with someone but learned it was too late to do anything about it. No one saw him shed those tears though, for they simply fell onto the grill and burned away with fat and gristle. It was amazing what one song could do to someone.
Finally Mick went from heartbreak to laughter once again as he started back up with his original tune on his guitar. "But the states weren't the only places I visited. I went across the ocean and toured London, Paris, Athens, Tokyo, Sydney, Rio, Bangkok, and even Oslo. Oh those crazy international girls…"
Mick strung his guitar in a faster rhythm and smiled as he did so. Everyone noticed that he was taking longer to sing about it than most so he must have had a good time.
"First stop Oslo, blue eyed blondes who made you feel like the god of thunder because afterwards you were very Thor." The audience laughed a bit at the pun while Mick continued.
"Ah Paris, the city of lovers and fine wine and cheeses, a colorful array of music and art. I met a young artist there; I became her subject after a gig, thought I had something going with her as she smiled while drawing me. But by the third day I learned she loved someone else more. I left the city brokenhearted but on my way to another: Rio."
Mick then began a new song, playing his guitar with a more salsa rhythm to it. This time he told the tale of how he spent a week and a half in Rio and where he fell for four beautiful senoritas. He did not break up with one every day, but instead spent time with all four during those few days there. Until one evening on his last gig, his secret was blown, he tried to run from them but they were quick. He awoke hours later in a very shady part of town and there he was lost for hours before finally finding his hotel again.
"So you see boys, being a lover is not all that's cracked up to be. For I have changed my ways and I am waiting for the right girl to come to me, when that will happen, I haven't the foggiest. I just know one day I will find her and it will be greater than any love I have ever made. So don't just go for the lady with the most sex appeal, but go for the one that you know that in your heart you will want to be with forever. None of those girls really had that, well except for the one in San Francisco, I still miss her every day. Oh Erica."
And with that Mick continued to play his song about Erica one more time, Homer continued to listen thinking about what he had said beforehand. It made him wonder if he really was going to spend the rest of his life with Jenna, they had been together long enough. But would it last forever? He still thought about Marge and how beautiful she was, and how much he missed her. But he knew that his chances with her were slim now if she was still with Artie. He looked around for Jenna and saw her sitting at a table by the stage, her beautiful brown eyes watching her brother sing. He felt happy for her sitting right there and knew he had done so many things for her in the past three years.
She even asked a few times about the idea of starting their lives together in a whole new way, he would go with her to college to study for something, yet he still had no idea what he wanted to do. A life with her did sound wonderful, but would he think about Marge every time? He really had to find a way to get her out of his mind, he was Jenna's now and he cared for her and liked being with her. It was time to erase Marge out of his mind; she never loved him and was now with someone else who probably loved her even more than he ever would. It was time to stop thinking about the past that he screwed up; it was time to think about the future.
A/N: Yay crappy chapter! I will admit, this is probably the worst chapter I have written in a while, I know its not the worst of all time because, well some of my old work wins that award. So yeah this was more of a filler chapter than anything. Next chapter should be very interesting, though unfortunately it will be a while before I post it. I have to go on a road trip back to where I used to live. It's gonna take me about a week or two to get there and I know I am going to be exhausted every evening from driving. So I apologize for the upcoming wait. Wish me luck though on the trip, hopefully the storms won't be too serious and I can easily find my way around. If you don't hear from me in a month, well, just wait longer, or just ask Chaos or Bdlywrttn where I've gone. I'll keep them informed.
Other than that, please review if you want to; hope you all have a wonderful week.