elmo-doodle: Hey ho!! I was going to post this chapter last night, but my dad turned the internet off just as I was about to post. I was so annoyed, lol. I kept saying, "No, no, no, no, no!" Anyway, here it is!! =] Chapter Twelve, in all it's shining glory =p . One more chapter and an epilogue after this, I think! Yay, I've loved writing this! Thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed this! We're sitting at 99 reviews right now, so let's make it 100 =]
Warning: Little bit of swearing!
Disclaimer: If I owned Scrubs, the series 8 finale would have had much slash. But I don't, so it didn't. Shame...
Chapter Twelve
When JD woke up the next morning, he sighed.
That's that then, he thought to himself. It's done.
He rolled himself out of bed, catching himself when he almost stumbled-- he hadn't expected his feet to reach the floor so suddenly. Guess I really got used to being a kid again. JD stretched, familiarising himself with his adult body before dressing and leaving his bedroom.
Turk and Carla weren't up yet, seeing as it was only 7:30am, and their shifts didn't start until 9am. JD went in to the kitchen and started to cook breakfast for them all, thinking that the smell of food would wake Turk, which would in turn wake Carla.
It's so weird, JD thought as he took some things out of the fridge, yesterday, I was running about as a four-year-old and being cuddled by my friends. Today, I'm making breakfast for my roommates. I wonder what Carla would say if I had attempted this yesterday? A brief smirk flitted across JD's face before it was replaced by a frown. Now that he was back to normal, he'd have to get used to an adult life again. Although he couldn't wait to get back to work, a part his mind nagged at him that it was going to be difficult. He'd gotten so used to being around Perry and being comfortable with him, and he'd enjoyed Perry being relaxed around him in return. Even though he would undoubtedly get a rant when he returned to the hospital, it wouldn't make it hurt any less.
JD sighed again and then remembered Perry's offer of going round to his place that day. Suddenly, JD felt nervous about seeing the older man outside of work. He wasn't sure what Perry had been thinking when he gave the invite, and now JD was a little hesitant about it. Still...
"Dude, is that bacon I smell?"
Turk poked his head around his bedroom door. JD smirked. Turk woke up first, just as he predicted.
"Yep," JD replied, turning back to the cooker. "I'm gonna put some eggs and toast on too."
"Awesome, dude, awesome." Turk walked in to the kitchen and stood beside JD. "It's good to have you back, man," he said. "I couldn't do this when you were tiny." Turk held his arms open expectantly. JD gave him a goofy smile and held his arms out, too. "Here comes the Black Whale."
Turk stepped forward and caught JD in a bone-crushing embrace. "I was ready for it," JD whispered, in what he called his 'sharing-a-moment-with-Turk' voice. When they were finished hugging, Turk helped JD cook the rest of the breakfast. They were just finishing when Carla walked out of the bedroom, sleepy-eyed and yawning.
"Morning, boys," she said, sitting down at the table. "How are you feeling, Bambi?"
"Like I've been stretched," JD joked, setting a plate of food in front of Carla. "I'm fine, really. Don't feel any different... just a bit taller."
Carla smiled. "Well, it's good to have back to normal," she said. "Turk was going crazy without having you properly around-- he was trying to get me to do all those crazy things that you to get up to."
"Baby!" Turk shouted, indignantly.
"What?" Carla said, defensively. "It's true." Turk pouted and sat down in between Carla and JD. "So, Bambi, what have you got planned for today?"
JD chewed some bacon for a moment, giving himself time to think. "I'm not sure. I don't have a shift until tomorrow, so I guess I gotta find something to entertain me all day."
Carla raised an eyebrow. "Isn't Doctor Cox off today?"
JD almost choked. "U-uh, yeah he is. Why?"
Carla frowned. "I just assumed that you'd be going over to his place again."
JD sighed. "Actually, um... he told me I could go over his place again today..." He blushed a little, and he didn't know why.
"Aren't you going?"
JD shrugged. "I dunno, I mean... what if it's really awkward? He spent the better part of two weeks looking after me as a baby-- that's bound to make me uncomfortable, and him too."
"JD, man, be cool."
"It'll be fine, Bambi," Carla said, laying a reassuring hand on his arm. "Trust me. You've just got to not let that put you off."
JD hesitated. "You really think I should go?"
"Yes."
JD thought about it for a moment more. "I'm still not sure... I'll have to think about it a bit more."
**
Perry sat in his apartment, TV turned on but not really watching it.
He had had trouble sleeping that night, mostly due to his over-active mind. He couldn't help thinking about JD, who was more-than-likely back to normal by now. Leaving JD back with Carla was like severing the bond that he and JD had built the past few days, and Perry wasn't sure if he was okay with that.
Still, he wouldn't be able to come to any conclusions until the kid showed up at his apartment later. If he showed up at his apartment, Perry corrected himself. There was no guarantee that JD would even turn up, although Perry hoped that he would. It was still early in the afternoon-- there was plenty of time for JD to show up yet.
But as the hours went by more doubts began to enter Perry's mind. The clock was now ticking towards 5pm and a feeling of disappointment was settling in to his stomach. To distract himself, Perry got up and fixed himself a scotch and then went to sit in the den, where he and JD had spent lots of time recently. He smirked as he remembered some of what had passed over the last two weeks...
Baby JD sat on the carpet, playing with his old teddy bear, while Perry watched the game on the TV. JD was content to sit up all night and play while the older man sat on the couch, but his body had other plans. He felt the yawn bubbling up and it escaped him before he could stop it.
"Alright, NewbieBaby, bed time."
JD groaned and looked up at Perry, pouting. "I don't wanna go to bed," he moaned, pushing himself in to a standing position and wandering over to the couch. "Sleep is boring?"
Perry quirked an amused eyebrow at him. "Newbie, I doubt you'd be able to stay awake for more than thirty minutes. Come on, you need some sleep."
JD sighed but didn't stop Perry as he stood and picked the younger boy up. "Fine, I'll sleep," he huffed. "But I'll have you know that I'm waking up ridiculously early just to spite you."
Perry chuckled. "Fair enough." He walked past the bathroom and a sudden thought entered his mind. "Newbie..."
"Mm?"
"You're wearing a nappy, aren't you?"
JD looked up at him with a fierce glare. "What about it?"
Perry attempted nonchalance as he phrased his next sentence. "Well... does Carla or Barbie or Turtlehead... you know... change you?" He almost burst out laughing at the look on JD's face.
The younger boy had flushed a violent red by this point. "You will never ask that question again," he said through clenched teeth. "Ever."
--
"Doctor Cox, Doctor Cox!"
"What is it, Newbie?"
"Look at what I can do!"
Perry left the dish towel on the kitchen table and went to stand in the living room. JD was in the middle of the room, legs in the air and hands on the floor as he did a perfect handstand.
Perry allowed himself to smirk. "Well, that's great Newbie, but how about you get your feet on the ground before all the blood goes to your head? I don't need another lecture from Carla."
"Okay!" JD tried to right himself but he wobbled and ended up tumbling backwards. He landed on the floor with a thud and an "Oof!" before starting to giggle. Perry rolled his eyes and went back in to the kitchen.
--
JD was sitting by himself in the supermarket, while he waited for Perry to return from getting what he had forgotten to buy along with his other purchases. He was contentedly swinging his legs when a familiar voice startled him.
"Hey, mini-Scooter."
"What the hell?" JD exclaimed as he whirled around on the spot. "Shouldn't you be working?"
The Janitor shrugged. "Work, break, it's all the same. Besides, I had to see if what Blonde doctor was saying was true."
"Elliot told you what happened to me?" JD said, outraged.
"No, I eavesdropped," the Janitor said, as if it were obvious. "Anyway, the hospital's not much fun if you're not there to mess with."
"Well, I'm touched by your sentiment," JD said sarcastically, "but I really shouldn't be talking to strangers."
The Janitor frowned. "I'm not a stranger," he said. And just like that, JD saw his moment for some payback against all the things the Janitor did to him. "What?" said Janitor asked as he saw the evil smile spread on JD's face.
The grin quickly slid away as an elderly lady walked nearby. "Don't touch me!" JD shouted.
"What?" the Janitor asked, confused.
"I said I don't want to go with you!"
"What's going on here?" The lady had wandered over to the commotion. "Are you alright, young man?" he said to JD.
JD shook his head and used the full force of his puppy dog eyes. "That man is scaring me!"
The Janitor honestly looked astonished. "What?"
"What's the matter with you?" the woman said.
"But I-"
"Get out of here!" she shouted, and she started to hit the Janitor with her handbag, obviously unfazed by his towering height. "Go on, scram!" When he showed no signs of moving too quickly she followed him out of the store, hitting him with her bag all the time. When the Janitor briefly looked back over his shoulder, JD was smiling innocently and waving at him.
"What you doing there, Newbie?" Perry asked as he reappeared behind him, watching JD watch the Janitor get beat up by an old lady.
"Oh, nothing," JD said, still sporting that innocent smile. "Just giving someone a taste of their own medicine." He giggled.
"Riiiiiight."
"Do we have to go back to Turk and Carla's now?" JD asked.
"Yeah, kid. We just need to go back to my place and get your stuff."
"Okay," JD said, and out of pure four-year-old instinct, he raised his arms up in a signal that he wanted to be carried. He immediately froze when he realised what he had done, and he began to prepare himself for one of Perry's rants about him being a sensitive little girl.
JD was not prepared, however, for Perry bending down and lifting him up on to his hip. "That better for ya?" Perry asked, not disturbed by what he had done or trying to find an excuse for it.
"Y-yeah," JD said, when he managed to unfaze himself.
Perry sighed and downed the scotch. He would give some more time to turn up before he gave up hope. He poured himself another scotch. Turning the TV on, he tried to lose himself in a hockey game that was playing. He wasn't successful.
It was getting late, Perry grimly noted a few hours later, and he had drawn up the one conclusion that left him feeling worse than before.
JD hadn't turned up.
**
"JD, we're back!" Turk called as he and Carla entered the apartment.
"Hey, guys," JD said. "How was work?"
"Same old," Turk said. "I'm so excited about you coming back tomorrow, buddy! I tell you more about today later-- I really gotta pee."
Carla rolled her eyes as she watched her other half dash to the bathroom. "I told him he shoulda gone before we left," she mumbled. "So, Bambi, did you go see Doctor Cox today?"
JD shifted uncomfortably and looked down. "No..." he replied.
"No?!" Carla repeated, outraged. She went and sat down beside JD on the couch. "JD, why not?"
"Because I was scared that he will have changed back to being a hard-ass bastard," JD told her. "Carla, I've enjoyed the way he's been acting towards me the past few weeks, and it'll hurt to know that it's changed."
"Urgh, you men are impossible!" Carla exclaimed, running her hands over her face. "Okay, I know that I'm going to get in a lot of trouble for saying this, but JD, Doctor Cox likes you!"
"What do you mean?" JD asked. He had heard this from Turk, but it would be a whole different thing coming from Carla.
"I mean that Doctor Cox feels about you, the way you feel about him!" Carla said, exasperated. "JD, he was waiting for you to go over to his place today so that you two could take about your situation! Do you know what kind of conclusion he's going to draw up now that you didn't show?"
JD suddenly felt cold as ice. If Perry really did feel the same way, then he's probably thinking that JD not turning up was meant that JD didn't reciprocate those feelings. "Oh, shit, I've messed this all up!" he moaned, hiding his face in his hands. "I've totally ruined any chance that I could have had with him!"
"Oh, Bambi, don't say that," Carla said, soothingly. "There's still time to show."
JD looked up at Carla and then at the clock. It had just gone after eleven pm. Surely Perry wouldn't mind him turning up now...?
"I've gotta go," JD said, standing up and grabbing the keys to his scooter. "I don't know when I'll be back." He leaned over the back of the couch and kissed Carla on the cheek. "Thank you," he told her.
"You're welcome," Carla said, smiling. "Now, go on, get out of here."
JD nodded and rushed out of the apartment.
**
Perry rubbed a hand over his face as he looked at the time. 11:15. He had given up hope of JD turning up a while ago, but for some reason he could shake the feeling of hope that would occasionally stir within him. He knew he was being unrealistic. JD obviously didn't think much of their relationship (whatever it was like now) and didn't think that showing up would be important.
Sighing, Perry stood up and downed the last of his scotch. He set the glass down and was just about to turn off the lights when there was a rushed knocking at his door. He frowned. Who on earth would be calling this late at night?
He made his way across the living room, rubbing his eyes and trying to dispel any signs of weariness. He didn't bother to check the peep-hole before he opened the door.
He opened it and found himself speechless.
"Hey," JD said, panting slightly. "Sorry I'm late. Can I come in?"
elmo-doodle: Had you going for a while there, didn't I? =p The next chapter should be up in the next few days, or at most within the next week! Cider for the reviewers! (and yes, I'm obsessed with cider!!)