Twelve days.
For twelve days, Beck and Jade are able to experience uninterrupted, newlywed bliss in Hawaii. Not all of it is entirely to themselves, their friends and family stay through January 2nd to justify the cost of the airfare, but they are able to retain their fair share of alone time. Once everyone else leaves, the couple still has over a week to enjoy the privacy of the resort and all of the new joy that they find in being husband and wife, two titles that still sound so surreal to both of them. They swim in the ocean, take sunset walks along the beach, drink too much, sleep in late, and have a lot of sex. Neither one of them feels ready to return to real life when it comes time for them to travel back to New York, but they both know doing so is inevitable.
When they return to reality they're both surprised to learn that no media outlets, the internet or in print, caught wind of the wedding. Both of them scroll through their social medias and search the internet looking for pictures or rumors, but there's nothing. While shocked, they're happy. All along the point of running off to Hawaii at such short notice was to keep their special day private, and that's exactly what they had done. They decide they'll wait a few more days before sharing the news, just to keep it to themselves a bit longer.
On January 15th they each share their favorite of the wedding photos to their instagram accounts. Jade's is of their first kiss as a married couple, when Beck had taken her in his arms and dipped her as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Beck's is of the two of them walking back up the aisle after the ceremony with huge grins on their faces, his fist in the air in celebration. They both use the came caption, 'All mine, for a lifetime', tagging each other as well as the resort, and the internet loses its mind. The world barely had time to wrap its head around the idea of them being engaged, and now they're married? Admittedly, Beck and Jade sort of enjoy the chaos that they've caused. They know it will only draw more attention from the paparazzi the next time that they go out in public, but in the grand scheme of things it's a small price to pay. #Bade and #PowerCouple are both trending within two hours of their joint posts.
"Change your name to 'Jade Oliver' on all of your accounts." Beck remarks as he scrolls through his phone, looking at posts "That'll really get people going."
"I, uh..." Jade hesitates, choosing her next words carefully so as not to start their first major argument as a married couple "I still haven't decided if I'm going to change my name or not."
"What?" Beck looks up from the screen "Why...why wouldn't you?"
"I've already kind of established myself in the industry as Jade West." She shrugs "And I don't have any brothers, so if I change my name...then my dad's name kind of dies with him."
"But we're married." Beck reminds her "I...I just...I don't know! That's what people do!"
"Not everyone." Jade points out "Julia Roberts, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Garner...there are plenty of actresses who haven't."
"Jennifer Garner is divorced."
"You know what I meant." Jade sighs "I never said I'm ruling it out, either. I just said I haven't decided. I'm still thinking about it."
"What if you made West your middle name?" Beck suggests "You get to keep it in some sense, but you can still take Oliver then too."
"I can't change my middle name." Jade tells him quickly, without hesitation "My mom and I have the same one. It keeps me connected to her, and I'll never change it."
It's Beck's turn to sigh now, running a frustrated hand through his hair as he sets his phone down. He can't argue with that reasoning, he knows that his wife deserves to still feel close to her mother. He hadn't expected that this concept would ever be up for debate though, he assumed Jade would take his name. One day when or if they ever have children, he assumed they would also take his name. This is what he gets for assuming things, he supposes.
"It's your decision in the end... " He admits "I don't want to be the misogynistic husband who forces you to make the change."
"I really appreciate that." Jade tells him genuinely, moving to sit on his lap "I don't want you to think that I'm trying to stick it to you or all of man-kind either. I just have a lot of professional and personal details to consider before I decide one way or another."
"I understand..." Beck nods "For what it's worth though, I think 'Jade Oliver' has a really nice ring to it."
"Noted." Jade smirks, resting her forehead against you "Regardless of the choice I make though...I'm still your wife."
"Yeah you are." Beck grins as she presses a kiss to his lips "The best wife a guy could ever ask for."
"And don't you forget it."
The first episode of Jade's new show is set to premiere the third Tuesday in January. A snowstorm falls across the city that night, bringing frigid temperatures with it. While they had been invited to the showrunner's apartment to watch the premiere, most of the cast opts to watch the first episode from the comfort of their own homes, safe from the winter elements. Beck and Jade are no different. He picks up dinner for them both on his way back from set, and she has plates and glasses of wine waiting for them both on the coffee table in front of the TV. Beck quickly changes into warmer and more comfortable clothes, and then they both settle in to watch.
"Your dad isn't coming?" Beck asks as the show starts "I thought he would."
"S'too far to come in the snow." Jade shakes her head "He's watching though. He's already texting me his play-by-play thoughts."
"He's going to love it." Beck assures her "Everyone is going to love it."
"I sure hope so."
She seems nervous, and rightfully so Beck supposes. He remembers how nervous and anxious he had been when Manhattan Med aired almost eighteen months ago now and how badly he wanted the show to do well, regardless of what it cost. Already within the first few minutes, he's impressed with Beyond the Innocent. Although his wife has yet to make an appearance on-screen, the acting is top tier. He knows Jade will only add to that and make the storyline that much better.
"I'm obsessed with this already." He admits as the title screen flashes and the show cuts to its first commercial
"You have to say that." Jade smirks "You're my husband."
"True." He says as he presses a quick kiss to her temple "But I mean it."
"I just hope the rest of the audience thinks the same."
"They will."
"I have a surprise for you." Jade tells him as the show returns "Watch the bottom of the screen."
With it being new, and premiering mid-season, the show doesn't yet have an opening sequence. Instead, the names of the regular cast appear at the bottom of the screen in alphabetical order after the first commercial. Beck recognizes most of the names, people Jade has mentioned or told stories about from her time on set. He knows she'll be last, or close to last, before the guest stars are listed, with her name being so close to the end of the alphabet. He's not sure what exactly he's supposed to be surprised by, but then the name 'Jade West Oliver' flashes across the screen.
"Surprise..." Jade says quietly with a small smile on her face
"You're taking my name?" Beck grins "Really?"
"Sort of." Jade reaches for the remote so she can pause the show, not wanting their conversation to interrupt anything "Legally, yes. I'm going to be Jade Oliver. I still have to fill out the-"
Beck cuts her off with a kiss, smiles forming on both of their lips as he does so. Jade is the one to eventually break it, as she wasn't entirely finished explaining herself.
"Wait, I'm not finished." She tells him "That's my legal name. My professional name, the one people will hopefully know worldwide soon and remember long after I'm gone...is going to be Jade West Oliver. I want West to be part of the legacy that I build and eventually leave behind."
"I support that." Beck nods "Thank you, Jade. This means a lot to me."
"I know it does." She smiles "Sorry to leave you hanging."
"S'okay." Beck grins, reaching for the remote himself this time "Let's keep tonight about you, though. Okay? It's your time to shine."
Beyond the Innocent premieres to rave reviews and phenomenal ratings. It isn't shocking that it's picked up and renewed for a full twenty-two-episode second season. To the surprise of no one, having been a huge hit with the viewership audience, Jade's character is upped from the supporting cast to the main cast and will play a much bigger role in Season 2. Manhattan Med had already been renewed for a third season along with it's second so in addition to enjoying being married, Beck and Jade are also enjoying the relief that comes with job security.
"I've been thinking..." Jade says to Beck one evening as they're sitting on the couch
"Oh have you now?" Beck raises an eyebrow at her "What about?"
"The lease for this apartment is about to be up." She reminds him "So we'll have to decide if we're going to resign or look somewhere else...and I dunno. I think we should consider making the transition from renting to owning."
"Interesting suggestion." Beck picks up the remote and mutes the TV "You want to move?"
"I dunno if I necessarily want to, but I think we should." Jade admits "I mean, renting is just a waste of money in the grand scheme of things. We're putting money in that won't ever return or benefit us in any way...and with both shows being renewed...we do have the means to buy and own if we want to. I love this apartment, I really do. It's the first place that we ever had together and we got engaged here but...we both know we can't stay here forever."
"You're right." Beck agrees "We should start looking for a place we can buy and own ourselves. We're married now and we both have stable incomes, we should make that a priority."
"I'm glad you think so..." Jade smiles, reaching forward and grabbing her laptop off of the coffee table "I've already started looking."
"Have you now?" Beck laughs
"Sure have."
She moves to sit closer to him, Beck with his feet propped up on the coffee table and Jade snuggling up beside him with her legs draped over his. He wraps an arm around her and pulls her close as she opens the laptop and opens a few pages that she had bookmarked.
"I've found three that I thought we'd both like..." She shrugs as she navigates to the first tab "They're all still here in the Upper West Side. One is a townhouse, but the other two are penthouses."
"Penthouses just sound cool, don't you think?" Beck admits "Like, that's rich people stuff."
"We're kind of rich." Jade chuckles "At least compared to the average person."
"That's crazy."
"Back to house shopping?"
"Right, sorry."
They look at all three options Jade had found, comparing locations, views, amenities, and the surrounding restaurants and entertainment. No decisions need to necessarily be made in the moment, but they're having fun discussing what they want and don't want, what is necessary and what isn't. They have more money, freedom, and options than they did the year prior, and that's making the process more fun.
"I like that all three options you found have multiple bedrooms." Beck remarks with a smile
"All of your family lives out of state." Jade reminds him "We want to be able to host them from time to time, right?"
"Well yeah, but we'd only need one guest room." Beck points out "Two bedrooms total. All of these have three or more."
"What's your point?"
"You know what my point is."
She does know. He's talking about having kids, and having bedrooms to put them in. It won't be until much further in the future, they both know that, but this new home of their's would hopefully be one that they stay in for a while. Having multiple bedrooms is something to consider.
"Yes, it has crossed my mind that wherever we move will probably be where we're living when we have our first baby..." Jade admits "But that's so far from now. I'm just trying to think of the future."
"I like the future you're envisioning." Beck smiles "Regardless of how far away it is."
It takes them a few weeks to deicide, but they end up choosing a penthouse only a few blocks from their current apartment. With the help of a relator they make an offer, and it's accepted. Their new home has four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a small study that can double as an office, and an open floor plan that they both adore. Most importantly though, it has a fireplace. A real, wood-burning fireplace, not a gas-powered one, just like Beck had promised Jade years ago as they both stood in her college dorm. She is already daydreaming about curling up beside Beck on the couch in front of it on a cold winter day, sipping coffee or hot chocolate as snow falls steadily outside the window. The thought of it brings a smile to Jade's face.
The building also has a private pool for the residents, and an elevator that operates only with the use of a key to offer privacy to everyone who lives there. Not to mention, the view from the penthouse is amazing. A patio balcony off of the living room gives way to Central Park, and a similar view is offered from the smaller balcony off of the master bedroom. Beck and Jade feel like such adults...so grown up...knowing that they not only get to live there, but that they own it. Beck especially loves that they purchase it as 'Beck and Jade Oliver' when Beck Oliver and Jade West had been the ones leasing their apartment.
They celebrate their first day in the apartment as any grown-up married couple would, by purchasing rollerblades and skating around the empty and open space. Neither one of them is very good at it, uncoordinated after not attempting the activity since they were kids, but they have an immense amount of fun regardless. Eventually they both end up in a heap in the middle of what will eventually be the living room, laughing as they try to catch their breath.
"Being married is so much fun." Beck says with a smile on his face "No one hypes this shit up enough."
"Can you imagine what the world would think if they knew that New York's TV 'power couple' was rollerblading around their new apartment like a couple of kids?" Jade smirks as she sits up
"Power couple..." Beck laughs, shaking his head as he sits up as well "What does that even mean? How did we earn that title?"
"I don't know..." Jade chuckles as she takes her skates off "How did any of this even happen?"
How is this their life? Her life, for that matter? It feels like just last week she was a heartbroken college student, just trying to get by until graduation so she could start her career and make something of herself. Now she's married, to a man she loves more than anything and can't imagine her life without. Not to mention she's had a successful run in a Broadway play and now co-stars in an incredibly popular television show...and her husband also stars in an equally successful television show of his own.
"Any of what?"
"All of it."
"Well, I think the career thing is a little bit of talent, but a whole lot of luck." Beck admits "But the rest of it? This is all happening because two people fell in love. Now each day gets better and better for them both because of it."
"You're a dork." Jade remarks
"A dork who loves you immensely."
"I love you too." Jade leans over and kisses him "You're my favorite dork."
After removing her skates she stands up and walks over to one of the windows, admiring the view of the park and the rest of Manhattan beyond it. Beck removes his own skates as well and then walks over to join her, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind and resting his head on her shoulder.
"We're lucky." She tells him as they stand there together "I mean look at this, Beck."
"I know." He agrees "I'd give it all up though."
"You would?"
"Sure would." He nods "At the end of the day, the only thing in life that I need to be happy is...well, you. Take everything else away from me, the penthouse, the money, the career...but as long as I have you? I'll have everything I'll ever need."
"Now you're a dork and a sap..." Jade laughs, turning around to face him
"Still your's though." He smiles
"Yeah, still mine." She smiles back as they rest their foreheads against each other's "I love you, Beck. Thank you for loving me back, I don't know what I'd be doing right now without you."
"Well, let's hope you never have to find out." He says "All mine?"
"For a lifetime." She nods, before leaning in to share a kiss