Metamorphosis

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

Chapter 32 (A Genuine Relationship)

"Jason, does this make me look fat?" Trina approached Jason on his couch, wearing one of the outfits that she left in his office just in case they wound up having sex again. She liked the feeling of it.

Jason raised an eyebrow and looked up, he was lounging and still shirtless but had a pair of jeans on. Trina had on one of the jeans she brought from home and a purple tank tucked into her belt. "Are we at that point of the relationship yet?" He smirked playfully and folded his arms across his chest.

She watched his biceps tighten and his firm chest bulge a bit, and shook her head as her mind started to drift. "I think we're comfortable enough with each other." She linked her fingers together at her waist and bowed her head. "We are, aren't we?"

"Of course we are." Jason stood and approached her. Her eyes slid into his and she held her breath as she studied the serene expression on his face. "You look beautiful in anything you wear." She blushed furiously and leaned over, kissing him quick on the lips.

"Let's take a look at the college stuff." Trina sat at the desk and raised her fingertips to the computer keyboard. She stared at the blank screen, watching the transparent reflection behind her. Her lips curled into a smile as she watched Jason rise and move towards her.

He placed his hand on the top of the seat and his entire body seemed to sink as an exhale wafted from his lips. "You're wanting Criminal Justice as your major, correct?" Jason leaned over her shoulder and gripped the mouse in his hand. "I know the person you'll want to get in touch with."

Jason opened the browser he had minimized and he clicked the tab for faculty members. After a few seconds he was on the page for one Dr. Paddack, professor of Criminal Justice. He had short grey hair, thin glasses and a face that looked almost grandfatherly.

"Professor Paddack, he's an intelligent man and one of the best advisors there." Jason picked up the phone and started to dial the number. Trina glanced up at him with a smile, waiting with patience as he placed the receiver to his ear.

His left fingertips tapped the edge of the desk and his eyes moved down to the space that had been cleared off.

Seconds passed and then his eyes lifted upwards as he pulled his left hand from the desk. "Hello? Professor Paddack, this is Jason Tyler." Jason closed his mouth and turned his head sideways, glancing at Trina with a smile. "Yes, I'm enjoying camp very well. I have someone who needs to speak with an advisor, so I referred her to you. She's registering for classes, but won't be able to physically get to the campus until close to the start of fall semester."

Trina moved her hands to her stomach and bowed her head as a nervous sensation grew within her. This was the first time in a while she had done anything for her future, and now she could see one in the distance.

As Jason handed the receiver over, her nervousness turned to joy and she took the phone with confidence. "Hello?" The man's voice shook in her ear, it was clear he was elderly but he also spoke with great clarity.

"Professor Paddack? Hi, I'm Katrina Vega. I would really like to go into criminal justice, but I need to know where to start." She tangled the phone cord around her index and middle fingers. "I don't know what to do, really."

Jason walked to the window and peered out. His hands came to rest on his hips. As he breathed in, Trina watched his chest expand and shoulders rise. The sun fell onto his face, giving him an angelic appearance.

"Alright Miss Vega. Mr. Tyler said you were planning to start in the fall, is that correct?"

"Yes sir."

"He's a good student." The professor started to chuckle. Trina moved her eyes towards the computer and her smile started to grow. "He took my intro class. Do you know him well?"

"He's um-He's my boyfriend." Her cheeks burned and her eyes flew up to Jason. Jason turned his head partially, closed his eyes and bowed his head with a smile. "We started dating about a month ago." She cleared her throat and held onto her breath as she was unsure whether to say much more.

"I see. Well then, it is certainly good to meet you. It isn't often that I advise students over the phone, but I can do that if you wish." There was a pause, followed by the clicking sounds of a mouse. "Now are you on a computer?"

"Yes sir." Professor Paddack walked her through the degree plan, suggesting she do a straight criminal justice major if she liked. Right now she would have to focus on the core curriculum and didn't have to declare a major officially until she was a junior. This gave her time to test the waters.

It was about an hour before the end of the call. Professor Paddack wished her a pleasant summer, saying he was looking forward to seeing her at the college.

Trina looked over to the couch where Jason was. He was lounging with his back nestled in the right corner of the couch. His legs stretched across the cushions with his right over his left, and his hands were folded over each other on his stomach.

She walked over and sat down in the center of the couch, leaning against his abdomen. The peaceful and quiet aura drifting from him shrouded her, bringing her into a similar relaxed state as she watched him sleep.

Every few seconds his chest would lift like bread rising in the oven, it would hold for a bit and then decline gradually. His lips were parted only a centimeter, allowing for the breaths to escape.

Her hand hovered over his left forearm and her head leaned to the side. "I'd hate to wake him," she thought with a smile. "He must be exhausted." She lowered her hand to his arm to perch, surprised when he didn't wake up.

Jason was likely a heavy sleeper like her father, though she didn't know why either man would be with all the things they've dealt with in their lifetime.

The door swung open and Trina raised her head with a start; they forgot to lock the door. Travis looked like a silhouette with the sun hiding behind him, darkening his body and casting a bright glow around him. "Hey Jason, what's-"

Trina put her finger to her lip, shushing him. Travis stepped inside, closing the door carefully behind him. "Oh he's asleep. Sorry." He folded his arms and brought his voice to a whisper. "And you're watching him sleep? Adorable."

She moved her hands to her lap, chuckling softly. "He was helping me set things up for school. I just got off the phone with my new advisor." She swung her hair over her shoulder and puffed up with pride. "I'm officially going to UCLA."

Travis clapped once and laughed, then Trina pulled her finger back up to her lip. Beside her, Jason rolled over a slight bit, pushing his shoulders and chest into the back of the sofa. "Trust me, you could set off fireworks in here and he won't wake up." Travis approached the computer desk and leaned against it, perching his elbow on the edge and crossing his right foot over his left. "Anyway, it's good to hear you'll be going there with us. So congrats."

"Thank you." She looked back towards Jason, her eyelids fell halfway and the corners of her mouth drifted up. "How did I ever find a man like him?"

"Does he make you happy?"

"Yeah."

"Well, you make him extremely happy. That's what's important to me as his friend, I think he couldn't have found a better woman, and the reverse goes for you." A blissful feeling swept over her and she smiled graciously at Travis. It meant a lot that Jason's best friend would be so accepting of her, and she knew Lindsay approved of Jason.

"Lindsay and I were talking about something recently." Travis pushed himself up and his eyes drifted towards the man sleeping on the couch. "You know she went to her high school prom by herself?" Travis shook his head and dropped his shoulders. "Tragedy."

She pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows at the man. Prom never seemed like much, and while she never cared for it, she did regret never having gone to hers. What did it matter when she didn't have anyone to go with?

"Did you go to yours, Travis?"

Travis pushed his hands into his pockets, hooking his thumbs over his leather belt. "Yeah." He rolled his head to the right and breathed out a heavy sigh. "I went with someone I was dating at the time."

"Ooh, anything serious?"

"Not really." He shrugged. "We'd been dating about a month, but we had nothing in common and it wasn't going anywhere. We decided to call it off, but both of us wanted to wait until after prom so we didn't have to go alone or skip it."

"I think I understand." It was a good agreement in her eyes, though she did think it was too bad that he didn't go with someone he was closer to. "What about Jason? Did he go? He says he never dated anyone besides Jenny, so…"

"Nah, he stayed home."

"Oh."

"You?"

"Never went." Travis furrowed his brow and raised his hand to his chin. Her gaze fell towards the floor and the left corner of her lip twitched for a second. "I didn't think it was worth it since I didn't have anyone to go with, and no guy would go with me and actually want to, so I didn't bother." She cleared her throat and looked back up at Travis. "Sorry. You came looking for Jason for something, what was it?"

The man's eyes flickered up and he snapped his fingers. "Oh right. His mother's stopped in for a visit and was on her way to the office." Trina froze on the spot and her eyes flew over to the door.

"His mother? You waited this long to mention that?" She wasn't prepared for a sudden introduction to the woman. At least she had decent clothes, and her hair wasn't a horrid mess, but she was about as ready to talk to his mother as Jason was ready to talk to her dad when he wound up calling.

Travis winced and opened his mouth, but stopped as the door slid open. Trina gasped and mentally tried to find locations to hide or escape. Instead, she sat as calmly as she was when Travis first entered and tried to hide the defeat in her eyes when she looked up at the door.

"Oh Jason," came the woman's cheery voice. Trina smiled as a woman about her height entered into the room. She had similar colored hair to Sikowitz and tiny red lips curved into a smile.

Trina cleared her throat and gently placed a finger to her lips. "He's asleep, Ms. Tyler." Travis bowed his head and stifled a snicker. The woman's smile grew and her eyebrows lifted up beneath her curly bangs. Trina stood slowly and extended a hand. "Hi, I'm Katrina Vega. Everyone calls me Trina, but you can call me whatever you like…"

"Ah!" The woman shook Trina's hand, then pulled her into a hug. Trina yelped out in shock and hugged the woman back while looking at Travis for help. The man could only extend a finger over his snickering lips. "I'm Pamela. Pam for short." Pam leaned back, placing her hands onto Trina's shoulder. "You must be the sweet girl I've heard so much about."

How much could Pam have heard? She knew Jason sent out letters, but that was about it. Sikowitz might talk about the letters as well. "Good things, I hope?" Pam laughed and nodded at her.

"Yes. My brother tells me quite a bit about you too, since he's learned you were one of his students' sisters." She scratched her head and started to chuckle. "And Travis told me a little about you. I'm glad you and Jason seem to be happy. I think it's very important for him to find a woman who'll love him."

Travis cupped his hand over his mouth, still appearing as though he were trying to keep from laughing. "You've got nothing to be nervous about," Travis responded. He dropped his hand and cleared his throat. "That is one of the nicest moms around, believe me. I think Jason and I have more to be afraid of than you or Lindsay."

She turned around and brought her hands to her hips. "And what does that mean?" She knew what he meant, and he was right. Lindsay's father could be protective of her for all she knew. Then, when it came to her family, all three of her relatives could be protective-so they would have a field day with Jason.

"I mean, of all the family members that any of us would meet, I get the feeling that Jason's mom would be the nicest besides my parents." Travis folded his forearms and flicked his forefinger out. "In other words, don't be so nervous. Be yourself. It's only Jason's mom."

"Only Jason's-you say that like it's easy."

"It is." Travis waved at Pam and flashed a smile. "Sorry, Jason's asleep, but something tells me you're not just visiting for him." Trina shot a glare at Travis, having already figured the cowboy wannabe had a chance to talk to Pam when the woman arrived. "Now if you excuse me, I must go downstairs and tell Lindsay her best friend has never had a prom."

Travis walked to the door and Trina's heartbeat started to race. "Wait, you're leaving me alone up here?" Travis looked back with a playful smirk and pointed to Jason.

"You're not alone, you have Jason." Her expression fell flat and she watched the man walk out.

"So," she heard Pam say. Trina turned around and smiled pleasantly. "I'd love to get to know you, sweetie. I have heard good things, and Jason sounds so happy in his letters." Trina blushed and bowed her head.

"He makes me really happy too. You know he just helped me get started with my college stuff?"

"That's great." Pam looked towards her son and closed her eyes. "Jason's had a hard life, so it's nice that he's found someone he could open up to." The woman crossed her arms and pushed her shoulders inwards. "He wouldn't like me saying it, but Erwin and I were afraid Jason would never bother looking."

"I know. He told me about, you know, his dad."

"He trusts you then." Pam's smile grew and the woman's eyes appeared misty. "That's what really matters. If it's something real, something that will last, then I hope the two of you will always be happy together."

"Your um-your blessing means a lot."

Pam threw her head back with a laugh, then raised up her hand. "Oh please, don't even worry about that sort of thing with me. You don't need my approval at all." Trina chuckled nervously and sat down beside Jason where she was before.

"I guess not." She peered down at him, gazing lovingly. Her hand moved to his and curled around it. "It still means a lot to me because…acceptance is something different for me." She squeezed Jason's hand and carefully leaned against his abdomen. "Since coming here, since being with your son, it's the first time I've felt that I belong. The first time I can see some kind of future anywhere."

"Good." Pam stepped beside her and lowered her gentle hand to Trina's shoulder. "Looking at you now…" She let out a sigh and looked up with a wistful smile. "I can see you love him. He loves you, I know from his letters…and even talking to Travis when I got here, that man described everything."

"Did he tell you about Marcus?"

"Who, dear?"

"My ex-boyfriend that came over here with a group. He started hitting me and Jason stopped him, but he didn't get into a fight, he was there for me."

"Oh." Pam chuckled softly and shook her head. "That must have been what Travis meant when he said there was 'a douchebag whose ass needed kicking'." Trina stifled a laugh. She was stunned that Travis used that language around the woman, but at the same time, she wasn't surprised. Pam also didn't seem like the type of woman to mind. "If Jason cared enough about you to hold back, then I'm glad."

"What do you mean?"

"The last time he saw his father, the two men got into a vicious fight." Trina frowned and looked back at Jason. "His father started mocking him, mocking Erwin and myself. It got to the point where his father struck first and he struck back. We left after that."

"I see. Yeah, Jason doesn't come across violent."

"He isn't, but my brother and I always thought he was hardening himself up too much. He always told us he would be fine, but we worry about him. We worried he would distance himself from people too much, so it's nothing short of a miracle you came into his life."

Trina slowly raised Jason's hand and leaned over, kissing it. "I think the same about him. I was ready to give up too." She felt his hand close around hers and smiled tenderly as his eyelids fluttered for a second. "You know…he might actually be awake."

"He does like to pretend to sleep when I show up, but he hasn't done that in years."

"Oh?"

"He'd do it in the mornings when he was a kid and I would wake him up from school. He thought if he pretended to sleep, I'd leave the room." Pam reached into her purse, smirking with sly pride. "There's one way to tell if he's asleep or not."

"How?"

"I have baby pictures." Trina cackled and Jason's eyes flew open. The man's eyes traveled to Trina's and softened as his lips slid into a tender loving smile.

"Well, there's a sight to wake up to," Jason whispered. Trina leaned back, putting her hands to her waist.

"Your mother comes to visit and you pretend to be asleep?" The man sighed and Trina clicked her tongue. "How long were you awake?"

"About five minutes." She pushed his stomach playfully and leaned over, kissing his nose.

"Now get up. Let's go treat your mom to dinner or something."

Pam let out a contented 'O' sound and smirked at her son. "I like your girlfriend even more now, Jason." Jason sat up and ran his hand over the back of his neck.

His eyes drifted sideways at Trina and his eyebrows curled up in the middle as a tiny smile graced his lips. "Did you get everything done with Professor Paddack, Trina?" She nodded and he shut his eyes. "Good, I'm glad you were able to get that stuff done." Jason stretched his arms out, yawned and stood up. "I'll go let Dr. Wyatt know what's up. I wasn't thinking I'd be introducing you to my mom or uncle this soon."

"To be fair, I already know your uncle."

"True. But do you know him as my girlfriend?" He smirked and winked at her. She rolled her eyes and pushed his chest playfully before taking his hand to stand. "Shall we go?"

"Yes."

I wanted to show a little more how the relationship has been growing and maturing. From the early kisses to now what I think is the more passionate stuff like cuddling or the tender gazes and the small moments that are shared. They're slowly sliding out of that honeymoon phase and entering into something more real and hopefully lasting. You know, David and Pam could be friends-they love sneaking up on their kids and kids' significant others unexpectedly, haha. What are your thoughts on everything? From Trina finally getting her college stuff settled, to the visits from Travis and Pam. We see here also that even Travis acknowledges his approval of Trina, even if we didn't already know it's really one of the first times she hears it from him.