It's the Gay Pumpkin, Charlie Brown - Season 5, Episode 5
"Telllll me somethin' gooood..." Karen slurred, stumbling around Jack's apartment in a drunken stupor. "I'll tell you something good, Stanley Walker!" She raised the bottle of bourbon to her lips and swigged some back before throwing the almost empty bottle on the ground, smashing it into tiny pieces all over the living room floor. "Oh no," she whispered, collapsing to the ground to clean it and salvage the last of her liquor.
Hearing the commotion from the bathroom, Jack quickly emerged from the shower and wrapped a towel around his wet body. He ran into the living room to find Karen on her hands and knees, trying to pick up the broken shards. "Karen, what happened?" He rushed over to her, minding the glass and his bare feet. He grabbed her arm to help her up, but she shoved him off roughly.
"I'm fine!" she yelled. "Don't touch me." Jack watched as she sat back on her heels for a moment looking as if she were trying to catch her bearings. "I gave that man everything," Karen hissed. "He told me to sleep with other people because he was fucking her! I was faithful. I'm mean I almost, but I... I waited-" Her voice cracked as she trailed off and she let out a heart wrenching sob.
Jack crouched down and lifted her up from the floor, his heart breaking for his best friend. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her shoulder as she cried into his bare chest. He wasn't sure what to do. He'd never seen Karen cry before. After she told him that she left Stan he offered her his bed for the night until she sorted things out in the morning, telling her she shouldn't be alone. She agreed and then poured another glass of bourbon. He eventually finished cleaning up Jacque's and ushered her into the apartment so he could take a quick shower, promising her a night of movies and cuddling. He didn't think anything of leaving her for those short twenty minutes until he heard the bottle smashing to the ground.
"You'll get through this, Karen. You're strong, beautiful, and the bravest person I know," he whispered in her ear. "I love you, Karebear." After a few moments, her sobs died down, only small sniffles and hiccups escaping her. Jack kept his lips pressed to her ear, humming quietly as he rocked her side to side. When he felt her breathing finally slow down and match his, he kissed her ear softly. "You wanna get cleaned up?"
Karen nodded against him, but didn't move. If anything, she squeezed his neck even tighter. Jack smiled and smoothed his hands down to her bottom and then grabbed the back of her thighs, lifting her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist. He carried her to the bathroom and set her on the sink, prying her arms off him so he could turn on the shower. As the water warmed up, he grabbed a moist towelette and began wiping the makeup streaks from Karen's face as she sat idly, her eyes downcast and focusing on the tiled bathroom floor. He threw the towelette away and Karen looked up at him with bloodshot eyes.
"Thank you, Jackie," she whispered.
Jack smiled in support and nodded before he walked over to check the water by placing his hand under the stream, deciding it was warm enough. He lifted Karen from under her arms and set her back down on the floor so she was standing in front of him. He unbuttoned her shirt and tugged it down her arms, dropping it to the floor at their feet. He removed her hair piece and clip, letting her dark tresses fall down around her face and then undid her trousers, sliding them down her legs. He helped her remove her jewelry and then tentatively reached around her back to her bra, unhooking it and dropping it to the floor with the rest of her clothes.
Karen reached down to remov her own panties and swiveled around Jack to step into the shower. Jack gathered her clothes and carried them into the bedroom, tossing them in the hamper with his clothes. He went back to the living room and cleaned up the glass and mopped the floor. When he was done, he check the clock on the kitchen wall and frowned. Karen had been in the shower for a while. He entered the bathroom and his heart broke all over again. Karen was in the corner of the shower sitting down, her legs pulled up to her chest, her arms wrapped around her knees, and her cheek resting against them, staring at the wall.
Shaking his head, Jack untied the towel from around his waist and stepped into the shower with her. "Kare," he said gently to get her attention. She looked up at him in defeat and Jack knelt down in front of her, his hand cupping her cheek. "Want me to wash your hair?"
Karen nodded and they stood together. Jack grabbed his shampoo off the shelf and poured a generous amount into his hands as Karen pumped body wash onto a loufa. Jack lathered her hair with shampoo, massing it into her scalp slowly and Karen quickly washed her body. After rinsing her hair and body and repeating the process with conditioner, Jack went to turn the shower off, but Karen wrapped her arms around his waist, halting him. With their height difference, Karen's cheek rest perfectly over his heartbeat. They stood still, holding each other until they felt the water become cold. Jack turned off the shower and grabbed two fresh towels from the towel rack on the wall.
They dried off in silence and then made their way into the bedroom. He handed her a large tshirt from his drawer and slipped on some loose pajama bottoms, foregoing a shirt. They climbed into bed, Jack flipping off the lamp on the bedside table, the only light illuminating the room coming from the large window. Karen was on her back, her head turned towards the window and she stared blankly, millions of things running through her mind at once.
Jack rolled over and slipped his legs between hers, his arm draping over her stomach and his head resting upon her chest, snuggling into her bosom. He watched her as she watched the city lights. Her eyes began to flutter closed and Jack's followed suite, their breathing evening out slowly as they fell into slumber.
Well okay. That was a thing... Um... review?