Through Thick And Thin

By Dimples

Disclaimers:

The characters in this story are all mine and the story is all mine. The characters may look like two of our favorite actresses that are not mine, but that's where the similarity ends.

Love/Sex/Language:

Yes to all of the above. This story depicts an explicit loving relationship between adult women. If you're under-aged or live in a place that this isn't allowed or this isn't your cup of tea, I suggest you move along and look for something else to occupy your free time.

Violence:

This story doesn't (how surprising) depict violence. I hope that's okay with all of you. ;)

Thanks:

To my beta-reader AC D'amato for everything. For reading, correcting my stories and doing a great job of it and for coming to my rescue just in the nick of time! AC, you rule babe!

To my wonderful, amazing friend, Stormy. Thank you for everything. I hope you know how much I care and appreciate you.

To all the readers that took the time to write to me and tell me what they thought, you encouraged me to keep on writing.

And to all the great bards around and their amazing stories that I loved reading and gave me the inspiration to start writing my own.

Author's comments and Feedback: This is an uber novel, much the same as my previous ones and I hope you'll like it. Unfortunately, the story is yet to be finished because I'm quite busy in my day to day life at the moment so I apologize ahead for the delays in my posting of the parts. I promise to try and write as fast as I possibly can. I hope you decide on reading it anyhow...

I received amazing responses on my story "So Close, So Far". I don't even have the words to begin to thank all the those sweet people that wrote to me with the encouraging, heart warming comments. You truly made my heart soar. I was asked about a sequel and I promised that I would get back to these ladies in the future. Well, imagine my surprise when this story idea popped into my head. I really didn't expect to write a sequel so soon but as I was sitting around the house, it just came to me. So here it is, sooner than expected but here nonetheless. I truly hope that you enjoy this one at least as much as you enjoyed "So close, So far." It's not necessary to read the first one but it is recommended. My other new story is still in progress and its first part will be posted soon as well.

The same as my other stories, everything in this story is meant purely for fun and I hope you find it funny (in places it was meant to be funny), dramatic (the same) and so on. I would really appreciate knowing what you think of my stories. Tell me if I'm doin' alright or if I royally suck. Some plot ideas would be very much appreciated also. Actually, come to think of it, any comment would be very much appreciated :) mailto:Dimples_2000_fr@yahoo.com

Part Three (The conclusion)

Ch. 8

"That day was the best and the absolute worst of my life." Said Jennifer, wistfully.

"Hmm. I felt exactly the same. We were both such idiots." At Jennifer's raised eyebrow, Jay corrected herself, "I'm sorry, I was such an idiot."

Jennifer laughed and petted Jay's arm lovingly. "You want me to drive for a bit?"

"Nah, I'm okay. Maybe in an hour or so."

"Okay." Jennifer smiled and closed her eyes, quickly falling back to sleep.

Jay looked at her adoringly and then grimaced when she remembered the way she had treated her best friend after the most wonderful, probably best, night of her young life.

Jay felt her leg start to cramp and she moved it experimentally, grimacing at the pain that shot through her lower body. She turned onto her back and looked at the girl lying next to her, in peaceful slumber. Images from the night before flashed through her tired mind. Jennifer's head thrown backwards in ecstasy, hearing the excited sounds coming from the sweetly parted lips of her friend...lover?

Shaking her head, she thought to herself, 'I can't believe we did this. How could I let this happen? I am such an idiot! I may have just ruined the best thing that's ever happened to me in this miserable existence of mine! How to fix this, how to fix this?! Think, damn it, think!'

Jennifer started stirring as she cuddled her face deeper into Jay's heaving chest, a content smile gracing her still slightly swollen lips.

Jay reluctantly pushed herself away from Jennifer's warm body and sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing her eyes in frustration. She couldn't come up with any decent plan on how to fix this situation that wouldn't eventually hurt Jennifer or herself. She got up and went into the kitchen. Taking a beer bottle out of the refrigerator, she took a long swig of the cool liquid, wetting her parched throat.

Several minutes later, when she got back into her room to get dressed, she found Jennifer sitting on the edge of the bed, much the same as she had done earlier. 'She's feeling just as bad. Man, I knew this was a mistake. Please God, please don't let her hate me.' Bracing herself, she walked into the room to stand in front of Jennifer. Jennifer raised her head warily and looked at Jay. Fear and something else she couldn't define clouded the usually vibrant green orbs.

"Jay..."

"Jennifer..."

They smiled in embarrassment and looked away. Jay started talking first, "Jen, last night shouldn't have happened. You were vulnerable and I took advantage of that. I will regret this for the rest of my life but there's no way for me to take back what I did. All I can do is say I'm sorry." Jay's voice was soft and timid. 'Why can't we just turn back time or better yet, just forget it ever happened?!'

Jennifer frowned and looked into Jay's eyes, "What are you talking about? You didn't take advantage of me, I wanted it as much as you did, so don't take all the blame on yourself. Besides, I liked it." She lowered her gaze shyly.

"No! Don't say that, it's all my fault and this was a mistake. We can't...we shouldn't have done this. You're my friend and that's that. Now can we please just forget about it?!" 'It was worth the try', Jay thought. She hadn't meant to be so harsh but her feelings were running wild and driving her insane. Everything had suddenly seemed to fall apart, to crumble in front of her eyes. She felt lost, with nowhere to go and nothing to do but seemingly, hurt her best friend.

Jennifer's eyes bore a hole into Jay's. She looked angrily at the taller girl and said in a barely controlled voice, "Forget about it?! Why are you so intent on hurting me? Why do you always have to ruin anything good you do? Maybe this has meant nothing to you but it has to me and I can't just forget losing my virginity!" With that said, Jennifer got up and started to get dressed. Jay blinked stupidly for a mere second and then left Jennifer to dress in private.

Jay was in the kitchen when the door of her bedroom burst open and an angry looking blonde barged out. "Jen..." Before Jay could finish the sentence, Jennifer had walked out of the front door and slammed it shut. Jay cringed and ran her fingers through her messy hair. "Gee, that went well." She said to no one in particular, taking another long swig of her beer. "Such an idiot..." She kept repeating quietly.

What was to be the best night of their lives turned into their very worst. Their mutual fear of confessing, of admitting to the feelings that resided in both their hearts brought upon them one disaster after another. Neither could face the other. Jay turned back to her drinking, skipping school as she often did and wallowing in her own self pity, pain and anger. She wasn't angry at Jennifer but at herself for letting go and unleashing her inner most wants and needs. It had been a mistake, one small loss of control and it had ruined what they had built for so many years. Jay vowed to never lose her hold on her precious control ever again...that is if they ever did come to speak again.

Jennifer, on the other hand, went through many phases. She felt angry and betrayed at first then her anger turned into frustration and finally, it transformed into hurt and she felt deflated. She felt no more anger but mere regret. How could she have ruined the best thing to happen in her life? And for what? Sex? Maybe she had mistaken Jay's signals, maybe she had been indeed vulnerable and let her emotions rule over her brain. It would be very hard for her to forget, to put this aside and move on but for Jay, she would. Her pride was hurt but that could be repaired, her heart though, was a different matter altogether. She hoped that with Jay's help and in time, it might eventually heal. These feelings she had were too raw, too risky to let them have reign. If she didn't understand them, how could she expect Jay to understand? How could she expect herself to follow them? They were best friends, that she knew, that was familiar to her and that was what she hoped to fall back on.

"That was a tough time for both of us. Neither of us actually forgot the incident but at the time it was just that, sex. I knew I loved you and I figured you loved me too but back then, it wasn't to the extent that I'm feeling now. We were both afraid of our feelings, afraid of what they might mean. We were scared of our own shadow." Jay chuckled solemnly. "I don't think it was a mistake, I cherish that day and it's burned in my mind but the time I consider to be our real first time, was no more than a few months ago, at our house. That was when we made love for the first time, at least it was for me."

"I know what you mean, Jay. I feel the same way. Even though things got back to normal after awhile between us and we seemed to forget it, it always kind of lingered at the back of my mind. In time, my feelings just got stronger until the point I wasn't afraid to admit them, to myself and to you. It's a shame it took us so much time to realize it, to see what was there all along." Said Jennifer.

"I know. For so many years after that night, I kept myself closed, I was afraid of getting hurt, of losing control again. I was positive you hadn't wanted it to happen and I blamed myself. I can only imagine what it did to you to see me over the years with all those different girls after concerts..." Jay shook her head sadly.

Jennifer laid a gentle hand on her thigh and said, "It hurt, I won't lie to you but I got over it. Besides, You were always my best friend and now you are all mine." She smiled sexily and winked.

Jay chuckled and squeezed the hand that was still resting on her thigh. "So much pain for nothing. All I had to do was look into those beautiful eyes and my hear would skip a beat and I still didn't realize I was head over heels."

Jennifer nodded agreeably, "And what was the reason for all that pain?" She asked sweetly, a cheeky smile consuming her face.

Jay rolled her eyes but said dutifully, "My own stupidity."

Jennifer laughed and patted her thigh lovingly, "That's right, baby."

Jay shook her head, smiling at her lover's playfulness. She signaled a turn and brought the car to a stop in front of a gas station. Jay shut the motor off and turned to look at Jennifer. "I'll get us something to eat and then fill up the gas tank. What would you like?"

"Hmm..."

Jay frowned at the hard, concentrating look on Jennifer's face and said, "Now Jen, you know I only have two hands."

Jennifer slapped her playfully, "Ha ha."

Jay flashed a saucy grin and winked before stepping out of the car and leaning onto the open window, "So, thought of anything I could bring in only one load?"

Jennifer squinted her eyes threateningly, "Just brink some snacks and cokes, smart ass."

"You got it." Jay walked around the car and into the small 7/11 at the back of the station.

Ch. 9

Several months had passed and not a word was spoken about that night. Everything returned to normal, at least as normal as it could get under the circumstances. They were young, they were rash and a simple matter like sex didn't really rattle them. The attraction was still there but as long as the fear lingered in the background, neither wanted to relinquish control and show vulnerability, which was fine with the both of them.

Jay had been speaking with the owner of a small pub on the outskirts of town about letting the duo set up a gig there. Joe, the owner, was a nice enough guy and was happy to let them show their stuff in his neighborly pub. He grew to like the young, dark-haired girl. Whenever she would have a fight at home, she would come to the pub. She would sit in a corner, her guitar perched eternally on her lap and sing. So when Jay asked to use the small stage for a gig, he agreed whole-heartedly. It was his small way to show her, he cared about her and the best possible gift he could give her for graduation. Besides, he knew it would bring a lot more customers and so he was happy.

"So, you're sure it's ok with you?" Asked Jay for the tenth time.

"Yes, Jay. I've already told you a million times." Said Joe. He was wiping the same glass for the third time since his phone rang.

"Hey Joe, why didn't you ever let me use it before then?" Jay asked curiously.

Joe smirked, "You never asked. You'd barely let me listen to you at first."

"Yeah well, I've grown out of my shyness. This is going to be so awesome. Jen's gonna freak!"

"Well don't freak her too much, Jay. She's a good kid."

"I know, I know Joe. Anyway, thank you so much. I'll see you soon."

"No problem. Take care."

Jay hung up the phone and started jumping up and down. Quickly, she realized what she was doing and stopped, looking around to see if anyone caught the spectacle. Satisfied that she was indeed alone, she straightened her leather jacket and practically ran to her bike. Not bothering with a helmet, she sped towards the high school.

Parking her bike in one of the free spaces, she practically flew off it and ran towards the entrance. Bursting through the double doors, she started searching the classrooms. She looked into the full classrooms through the window in the doors, until finally she spotted Jennifer. Before Jennifer or anyone else could notice her, she lowered her head and moved away from the door. 'How can I get her out of there? Think, think...'

Shrugging, she decided on being straightforward and blunt. She walked to the door and knocked twice. The teacher looked at the door and frowned when she saw Jay. Jay could hear the teacher's high heels clanking on the floor as she headed toward the door.

"Jay, what an unusual surprise. Have you come to join us?"

Jay smirked and said, "Nope, sorry. I need Jennifer for a moment."

The teacher scrunched up her nose and lowered her glasses to mid-nose, "You are kidding me, right?"

"Umm...No."

The teacher blinked a few times and then turned her back to Jay and closed the door behind her, leaving a perplexed Jay in the hallway.

"Well that went well..." Said Jay to herself. Suddenly a different idea struck her. She smiled devilishly and went to the principal's office. Jay knew that on the principal's desk was a PA system, which he used for announcements or for calling people to his office.

Jennifer blinked in confusion and wandered what that was all about. 'I wonder what Jay wanted...'. She shrugged and figured she'd talk to her after class.

Jay was pacing in front of the principal's office, trying to figure out a way to get in without being noticed. The principal's secretary came into view and took a seat at her desk, just outside of the principal's office. Jay grinned and walked in. "Hello there, Tiffany." Said Jay, charmingly.

Tiffany, a 25 year old student that worked part time as a secretary at the school, answered with a smile of her own, "Hello Jay." She had always found Jay to be attractive and thought that a little flirting couldn't hurt anyone. "How are you?"

"I'm just fine, now better actually. And you?"

Tiffany had the grace to blush slightly and said, "Quite alright as well. Why aren't you in class?"

Jay burst into laughter, "Are you kidding?"

Tiffany rolled her eyes, "Sorry, I forgot, the big bad rocker doesn't need to go to school..."

Jay moved to prop herself on Tiffany's desk, "You got that right."

"So, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Tiffany asked as she busied herself with a few papers that were in disarray on her desk.

"I just wanted to show you something..." Jay hadn't actually thought of a plan but thought she'd go along with things as they happened.

Tiffany smile slyly and asked, tilting her head to the side, "Oh? What is it that you'd like to show me?"

Jay leaned closer and said, "Well, you'll just have to come with me and see, won't you?"

Tiffany bit her bottom lip and then smiled, "Fine, I'll bite. Mr. Jefferson isn't here so I guess I can leave for a few minutes." Mr. Jefferson was Tucson high's principal.

"Oh, I'll do more than bite..." Said Jay seductively, leering at Tiffany's figure. Tiffany giggled girlishly and raised from her chair, moving around the table to face Jay. Jay pushed herself off the table and grabbed Tiffany's hand, leading her to the supply room that was a few feet from Mr. Jefferson's office. Jay pushed her into the small room and started kissing her. Tiffany moaned as she wound her arms around Jay's strong neck. Jay searched blindly for the light switch until she hit the right spot on the wall. She pushed Tiffany against the wall, kissing her deeply and thoroughly. Deep down, she delighted in the contact, Tiffany was a very attractive woman.

Mentally stomping her foot, Jay pulled slightly backwards and before Tiffany knew what was happening to her, she was locked in the supply room. Jay had taken advantage of the few seconds in which Tiffany was dazed from the heated exchange and fled out of the room. She locked the door behind her and ran as quickly as she could back to Mr. Jefferson's office. Tiffany's yells and curses accompanied her all the way to the room. Jay winced when she thought about what she had done. 'Ah, she'll get over it.' Looking sideways, Jay made sure that she was alone as she slowly opened the door to Mr. Jefferson's office. She breathed in relief when she found the door to be unlocked.

Jay closed the door quietly behind her and walked to the large oak table. The room was furnished tastefully in a black and brown decor. A large black sofa was pressed against the back wall and two plush, leather armchairs were in front of the impressive desk. Detecting the PA immediately, Jay moved behind the desk and pulled the mike closer to her mouth. Clearing her throat, she pressed on the correct button and spoke for all the school to hear, "Miss Terry to the principal's office, Miss Terry to the principal's office, thank you."

Jay started to put the mike down when another idea popped into her head. Smiling devilishly, she grabbed the mike again and said in her most serious, most dramatic tone she could muster, "I would like to thank the academy for giving me this opportunity...I'm so excited I can barely speak..." She half sobbed, "I want to thank Mr. Jefferson without whom I wouldn't be standing here and his wonderfully talented and devoted secretary, Tiffany for being a great help, this is as much yours as it is mine." Jay couldn't hold the laughter in any longer as she could barely put the mike down. She quickly walked to the door and stepped out of the room before she could be noticed. A few teachers had gathered around to look for the perpetrator but before anyone could spot Jay, she turned the corner and ran straight into Jennifer.

"You are so busted." Jennifer whispered but couldn't keep a smile from spreading over her face.

Jay feigned innocence and pointed to herself in mock astonishment. Jennifer batted the finger away and grabbed her hand, leading her away. They stepped out into the fresh air and walked to the back lawn. "So what was so important that you had to do that in order to talk to me? And don't you think that by not coming to school you're doing enough already to annoy the teachers and staff?"

"Hmm...Let me think..." Jay bit her lip in thought and chuckled at the evil glare she received for her efforts. "Actually no. The more I do to annoy them, the more fun I have so nope, I don't think I've done enough. As for your other question, guess."

Jennifer threw her hands in the air, "I have no idea."

"I got us a huge gig at Joe's bar the night after graduation." Jay said quickly, waiting for her words to register in Jennifer's mind. Jennifer looked at her skeptically at first but when she saw a genuine smile spread across Jay's features, her grin turned into a splitting one and she started screaming. "Oh my God!!!" She jumped up and down and then into Jay's arms. Jay caught her easily and flung her around in circles until both fell on the ground. They were both breathing hard and smiling so largely their cheeks hurt. "Our first real gig...Our first gig, I can't believe it. Thank you." Jennifer turned her head to look at Jay and was met by a tender smile, "You're very welcome."

When Jay got back form the 7/11, they exchanged places and Jennifer took the wheel. They were less than an hours drive from Tucson and the feelings of anxiety from before were starting to transform into excitement. All the reminiscing they had done along the way made them miss home all that much more and think of the good things that happened back then, pushing the bad ones to the backs of their minds.

The roads were fairly empty at this time in the afternoon, which made the rest of the way much more pleasant. Jennifer looked around at the scenery and let a small smile touch her lips in remembrance. This was coming home. Even though the last time left a bad taste in their mouths, this time made up for it. After such a long tour with tiring consequences, this felt good. This was where it all began. Without this place there wouldn't have been 'Double J', Jennifer realized.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Asked Jay when she noticed the content smile on her love's face.

"For a dollar I might tell you." Jennifer smirked.

Jay chuckled and said, "You're on."

Jennifer shrugged, "Nothing special, just thinking about this town and what it gave us. Through all the bad there was still so much good. Most of the time, the good definitely overrides the bad. I know that back then I was skeptic, I thought something like this could never happen to people like us. Imagine my surprise when it did."

Jay smiled softly, brushing an errand lock of hair away from Jen's eyes.

Ch. 10

The last day of school flew by. Most of the teachers didn't even mind not teaching anymore and spent their last hour together with their students playing games and talking. The scent of freedom was in the air and the kids loved it. The teachers, even if they wouldn't admit it, were loving it as well. When the last bell rang, the single moment of peace and quiet was suddenly broken by hundreds of joyously screaming teenagers. The halls were filled to the brim by them, trying to get out of the front doors as fast as possible, as though they were afraid someone might lock them in forever.

Jennifer was smiling broadly as she said goodbye to her classmates, slowly making her way through the crowd at the door. Halfway down the corridor she met with Suzanne. "Hey Jen." Suzanne and Jennifer had made up shortly after the ordeal with Jay. Even though it seemed that their friendship hadn't suffered, there were still some unsolved feelings under the surface. Jay had gone back to her old ways of ignoring Suzanne. Deep down, Jennifer found that made her content. For some reason she couldn't explain, her need of before that Suzanne should befriend Jay had perished. Things were back to normal and everyone seemed somewhat relived.

"Hey Suz."

"Are you nervous about tomorrow night?"

"Are you kidding? I'm sweating bullets since the minute Jay told me about it."

Suzanne patted her shoulder affectionately, "Oh come on, you have nothing to be nervous about, you're going to be great."

"Wanna take my place?" Asked Jennifer, playfully.

Suzanne chuckled, "Not for the world. Besides, I'm sure you wouldn't want that." The two friends finally managed to reach the exit and climbed down the front steps. Jennifer looked around the parking lot and immediately noticed Jay in her usual position, leaning against her bike with her arms crossed again her chest. She turned to Suzanne and said, "You're going to be there, right?"

"Of course, I wouldn't miss it for anything."

"Well, I gotta go, my ride's here."

Suzanne glanced briefly at Jay and then turned to smile at Jennifer. "Okay then, I'll see you tomorrow and don't sweat it, alright?"

"Yeah, thanks." Jennifer said softly. She took a deep breath and moved to hug her friend. Suzanne returned the hug happily and said, "Keep in touch, huh?"

Jennifer squeezed harder and said, "You bet." Giving one more squeeze, the girls separated. Suzanne pulled her backpack onto her shoulder and waved at Jennifer, who started heading towards Jay. Jennifer returned the wave and watched Suzanne leave. "Hey." Said Jay.

"Hey stranger. Even on the last day of school you couldn't give the teachers the pleasure of your presence?"

"Especially on the last day of school. What good would it have done me? It's not like they would have recognized me anyhow." Jay smirked.

Jennifer backhanded her in the stomach, then took the offered helmet and put it on. "Let's move, we have a show to prepare for."

The town was quiet other than the occasional car that passed by. Jennifer turned onto the familiar road and smiled. She had missed their home. And as she looked lovingly at the old neighborhood and on the roads she knew so well, she felt a catch in her heart. That was the reason why she loved the house they had here more than the the other ones they owned.

She softly touched her hand to Jay's shoulder and said, "Jay, we're here." Jay had dozed off for the last half hour and at Jen's gentle voice, she blinked her eyes open, shielding them from the bright afternoon sun with her hand. She wiped the remaining sleep from her eyes and looked around. Jennifer inched the car into their large driveway and parked it a few feet from the house. Jay's collection of cars and bikes was safely tucked into their garage and so there was plenty of room in their driveway. Both women opened their car doors and stepped out of the confining vehicle. Both were tired and their muscles were cramped. They stretched for a few seconds, wincing at the loud sounds of popping vertebras. "Ah...That felt so good. I wanted to do that since before we landed."

Jay smiled and agreed, "Yeah, I know what you mean." Jay opened the trunk of the car and pulled their suitcases out. Jennifer went to the back seat and picked up the lighter bags. Loaded with baggage, they locked the car and headed to the house. Jennifer opened the door and stepped inside first.

The house was dark and stuffy but the sweet smell of the forest, which Jennifer loved still lingered behind, bringing large smiled to both women's faces. Jay turned on the light switch and looked around. They had asked their housekeeper, Shelly to come and stock up on food again and arrange their house a bit for their arrival. Since Shelly had taken care of most of the things, they didn't have much left to do. Everything was in working order and all that was left was to air out the house a bit and arrange their things back into place. They climbed the steps up to their floor and Jennifer smiled in delight when they entered their bedroom. The last time they were standing in the same spot came rushing back to her and she blushed hotly.

That same moment they had become aquatinted again as lovers, they discarded their separate rooms and chose the larger one of the two as their shared bedroom. They made sure to make many beautiful and lasting memories of that room, and almost every other room in the house. Jay threw her load on the floor next to the closet and jumped on the bed, fully dressed. She rolled in the softness and smiled contently. she looked at a smiling Jennifer and patted the spot next to her invitingly. Jennifer's smile grew larger and she dropped her bags as well before joining Jay on the bed. Jay pulled Jennifer closer and started kissing her neck softly. Nibbling her way down to her collarbone, she rubbed the flat stomach lovingly. When she went up to kiss the soft, full lips, she raised her eyebrows in astonishment. Jennifer had fallen asleep. Jay blinked twice and then chuckled silently, shaking her head. She was tired herself and so, she pulled Jennifer up on the bed to lay on the pillows and snuggled herself into her side. Before dozing completely off, she managed to pull the blanket that lay at their feet up and over them. She pulled Jennifer closer still and sighed in contentment before joining her in sleep.

The show had been amazing. Almost the whole school had been there to watch the duo play and they loved every minute of it. The adrenaline was still pumping through their blood, making them dizzy with excitement. They were both breathing hard and sweating, smiling as id there was no tomorrow. They kept wanting to go back there, back on stage. The crowd was still screaming for more and the girls wanted to give in to their pleas so much it almost bordered on physical pain. Joe was high as a kite, the duo was an amazing success an they brought so much clientele to his small establishment that he could barely believe his eyes. He had made more money in that single night than he usually made in a year. He had to admit that the girls were indeed extremely talented and was happy to have been the first to give them a chance.

Jay and Jennifer changed their clothes behind the stage where they had put a small curtain and prepared to go out to the crowd. Walking around the stage, they stepped onto the dance floor, or at least where they knew a dance floor was supposed to be. People they had never seen congratulated them and complimented them on an amazing show and wished them luck. They found a few familiar faces and smiled at them, stopping to exchange a few words. They wanted this feeling to stay forever and they wanted to preserve it. Stepping through the crowd, Jennifer met up with Suzanne and they hugged. Suzanne raised her voice in order to be heard above the roar of people and music and said excitedly, "You guys rocked! I can't believe how good you are." Both Jay and Jennifer thanked her and they hugged briefly before bidding her goodbye.

Finally out in the fresh air, they breathed it in, filling their lungs with the clean scent of the woods. Jay threw her arm around Jennifer's shoulders and asked, "Want to take a drive?"

Jennifer nodded and followed Jay to her bike. They drove for a quarter of an hour and reached their secret meeting place. This was the place they would always meet to be alone when they were little and had become their special place. Walking through the dense brush, they reached an open spot. The clearing was covered in soft grass surrounded by flowers and the trees of the small forest. Jay took Jennifer's hand and walked to them to the middle. She sat down and pulled Jen after her. "I can still feel and hear all those people." Said Jennifer.

"Me too."

"I hope it's always like that, that is if we ever get that chance again." Jennifer said skeptically.

"Don't talk like that. This was just the beginning." Jay lay back and gazed at the stars that were illuminating the night's dark sky. She took a deep breath and released it slowly, enjoying the white vapor that transformed because of the cold. Jennifer lay back as well, joining Jay in her quiet, still state. They were trying to absorb all that had happened back at the club and to cling to every tiny detail they could remember, imprinting it into their memory.

The sky had already gone dark a few hours earlier and left the two young friends bathed in the white glow of the moon. The grass they were lying on was soft and inviting, the sweet smell of freshly cut grass wafted in the air around them, cocooning them, pulling them into it. The sound of grasshoppers and all sorts of nightly creatures, made for a perfect ambiance.

A soft sigh was heard and the pale blonde head turned to look at her dark companion. "What are you thinking about, Jay?"

The dark girl turned her gaze to her small friend and smiled tenderly, "About everything. You'll see Kiddo, we'll be famous one day."

The blonde groaned playfully and plopped back down, "Will you ever stop? It's not going to happen, Jay. Things like that don't happen to people like us."

Jay rolled back as well, "I'm never going to stop. It will happen to us. Just wait and see."

Ch. 11

They hadn't noticed how tired they actually were and by the time they woke up it was already morning. Jay stretched and yawned and turned to look into Jennifer's wide awake green eyes. "Good morning. I can't believe we slept through the day and night. Did you sleep well?" Asked Jay.

"Like a baby. I guess we were more tired than we thought. That drive did me in, I think."

Jay agreed and turned to put her feet on the floor. "I'm going to take a shower."

"Okay, good."

Jay turned and raised an eyebrow at Jennifer, "Good? Are you trying to tell me something here?"

Jennifer laughed and said, "Well honey, I can't say you smell like roses..."

Jay's mouth opened in shock and she snorted, "And you think you smell better?"

Jennifer mimicked the open shock look Jay gave her a moment ago and threw a pillow at Jay's retreating back. Jennifer got up from bed and ran to the door, Jay hot on her heels. She caught Jen around the waist and pulled her closer, "I've got you now." Jay kissed her neck softly and buried her nose in her fragrant hair.

Jennifer leaned into the contact and said, "And what are you going to do with me?"

"I'm going to thoroughly wash every single part of you and make sure you're squeaky clean."

Jennifer smiled and turned her head to plant a soft, breath-stealing kiss on Jay's lips. "Well what are you waiting for, stud?"

Jennifer giggled happily as she was picked up and thrown onto Jay's shoulder, heading to the bathroom.

The reunion was to take place at their old high school, hosted by their principal, Mr. Jefferson. Jay and Jennifer spent the rest of the day putting some of their things back in place, resting and fooling around. When the clock hit 6:00pm, they got dressed and headed out on Jay's bike to the school grounds. They decided to take the bike in memory of old times.

The school's parking lot was crowded with cars and people. On the way to the front doors, they were stopped a few times by fans and signed some autographs. Half an hour later, they entered the school's gym. It was decorated nicely with balloons and banners, the center of the gymnasium was filled with tables arranged to seat 10 and the crowd of people was just picking up. Soft music was playing in the background and they smiled as the old familiar scent of the closed gymnasium wafted in the air. A woman sitting at the entrance stopped them without raising her head from the block of paper she was holding. "Name please?"

"Hey Mrs. Brimstone." Said Jennifer.

Mrs. Brimstone, their high school gym teacher, raised her head at the familiar voice and smiled largely, "Jennifer, how are you?" She gushed happily. Getting up from her chair, She went to hug Jennifer. "My, you've grown into such a lovely young woman." Jennifer blushed at the compliment and thanked her. Mrs. Brimstone then turned to Jay, "And who you might be?" She asked teasingly.

Jay smiled charmingly and said, "Now don't start, Mrs. Brimstone. You know damn well that your class was the only one I actually attended."

Mrs. Brimstone laughed delightedly and pulled Jay into a hug. "So good to see you two again. I was so happy to see you made your dream come true. Such talent should never go to waste."

"Thanks Mrs. Brimstone. it's good to see you too and it's good to be back." Said Jennifer.

Not bothering with name tags, the duo walked into the brightly lit gymnasium. They were greeted by a few more excited fans and then they suddenly noticed two very familiar faces approaching them. Jennifer's eyes grew large and she took Jay's hand into her own, holding her tightly.

Suzanne's smiling face radiated when she saw her best friend from high school walk in. "Jen!"

"Suz!" Jennifer let Jay's hand drop for a moment so she could hug her friend. As soon as she pulled back from the warm embrace, she took repossession of Jay's large hand. Josh Crenshaw appeared at Suzanne's side and put his arm around her shoulders. "Hi Jennifer, Jay." He nodded shyly at both women.

Jennifer still couldn't snap out of her shock. He looked more settled, more mature, just...older. Mused Jennifer. 'And what is he doing with Suz?'

"Hello Josh." Said Jennifer. Jay still couldn't get herself to look at Josh, afraid that old memories might resurface and she might do something she would regret later. "It's been a long time." He said.

"Yes, it has." Jennifer wasn't going to make things easy on him.

That was when she looked at Suzanne more carefully and noticed her protruding belly. "Suz? Are you pregnant?"

Suzanne smiled softly and nodded.

"When did you get married? Who's the lucky man?"

Josh cleared his throat nervously and said, "I am."

Jay's eyebrows went into her hair and she finally let herself look at Josh. She noticed a difference in him as well. Jennifer had trouble keeping her mouth closed as she seemed to gawk at him, opened mouthed. Jay had pity on Jen and closed her mouth softly with a finger, "You're going to catch flies if you keep that up." She whispered softly into Jennifer's ear. Jennifer shook her head and snapped herself from her haze. "You?" The word came out more harshly than she intended and it made Josh wince slightly.

"Yeah...Jennifer, things changed. A lot. I will always feel guilty for the things I did and said back then and I truly realize what an asshole I was but there's really nothing I can do about that now but try to make up for it. Not long after we graduated, I had a car accident and I was pretty miserable. I had lots of time to think about all I did and all that happened that last year of high school. I soon realized I've been a complete jerk and I wanted to somehow contact you and apologize. I found out that you left town and so I figured that if someone might know where you are, it would be Suz. So, I called her up and we started talking and seeing each other. Apparently she had no idea of your whereabouts either and it just...kinda happened. I fell head over heels and she tells me she has too, so less than a year after graduation, we tied the knot. We wanted to invite you guys but we had no idea how to contact you. Now, we've been happily married for two years and have a beautiful daughter to show for it and another one on the way."

By the end of Josh's story, Both Jennifer and Jay were standing with their mouths open, making Suzanne and Josh chuckle softly. "Wow. That's---that's amazing." Stuttered Jennifer.

Josh stepped forward slightly and looked at Jennifer, "I'm so very sorry for all I did back then, I hope you can somehow find it in your heart to forgive me." He said in a heartfelt plea.

Jennifer looked over at Suzanne and softened her gaze when she saw how truly radiant she was. "I can see you've changed. Drastically, If I might add." Said Jennifer, drawing chuckles from the three. "In this case, I can definitely find it in my heart to forgive the stupidity of a teenaged boy and accept the apology of a mature, grown man."

Josh smiled in relief and put his hand out for a handshake. Jennifer brushed the hand away and pulled him into a hug. "You be good to her, you hear?"

Josh smiled against Jennifer's shoulder and said, "You bet." Stepping away from the embrace, Josh turned to Jay. He smiled when he was offered a peace offering and shook her hand. "Let's find our table, shall we?" Jay put her hand on the small of Jennifer's back and led her to a table in the middle, in front of the stage. They talked amongst themselves for another hour until the rest of the crowd gathered. At 7:30 PM sharp, the doors of the gymnasium closed and the principal took the stage. He checked the microphone and started speaking, "Quiet please. Thank you. Good evening everyone. I am truly happy to be here and host this wonderful reunion for the class of '95." He waited patiently for the applauds to quiet down before he continued, "It's truly a pleasure to recognize faces again and reminisce of old times, and realize how old I really am." The audience chuckled, "But tonight, is an extra special night. Two of our school graduates, even though I'm not really sure how one of them graduated,"

Jennifer laughed and said to Jay, "He's talking about you." Jay pouted and tried to keep from laughing herself. Jennifer kept chuckling as she patted Jay's knee lovingly.

"Are back in town after a long, nation-wide tour. They are here to receive a special award for bringing so much honor and pride to our little town. I'd like to believe they're here for the reunion as well though..." Some clapped, some chuckled before Mr. Jefferson continued, "These two graduated I'm talking about, whom I'm sure you've all heard about, are Jennifer Terry and Jay Thomas, The 'Double J' duo." at the mention of their names, the crowd erupted in cheers and hollers, making the duo blush.

"Since I see you can hardly wait, here they are. Jay, Jennifer, please join me here on stage." Jay squeezed Jennifer's hand and smiled at her as they raised from their seats and walked to the stage. On stage, they waved at their school mates and flashed their trademark smiles. Mrs. Brimstone handed Mr. Jefferson a golden plaque and he motioned with his hand for the audience to calm down. He shook the women's hands and smiled, "This is for you for all I've said and more. You have truly put us on the map." He gave the plaque over to Jay and thanked them.

Jay raised the plaque and with a winning smile thanked the school, "Thank you so much for this. It really means a lot to us."

Jennifer took Jay's hand in hers and stepped up to the mike to say her thanks as well, "Thank you. To put Mr. Jefferson's concerns at ease, we would have come to the reunion even if it wasn't for the award. We love this town and as we were on our way back here, we thought about all the good it brought to us. It made me realize that if it wasn't for all that happened to us here, the good and the bad, we wouldn't be where we are today, who we are today. So this award is for you as much as it is for us. And no matter where we are in the world, or what we do or even with who, this is home."

People were wiping the unshed tears from the corner of their eyes as they smiled up at their now two most favorite people. It started as a slow chant that gained strength with each passing second. The audience was asking for a song. Jay and Jennifer could never refuse their fans and this was no different. Laying the plaque safely in a corner of the stage, they told the band what song to play and took up their rightful place, in front of the mikes and a roaring crowd of adoring fans.

The End

Author's comment: Ah, there it is again...the end. The end is always the hardest to write since you're never sure how to put it just right. How to make people long to read more and imprint the story in their minds. So as I see it, the ending is just as important as the beginning and just as hard to put on paper.

Anyhow, I wrote this sequel for two reasons. One, I enjoyed writing about Jay and Jennifer so much that I couldn't let them go that easily and two, for all the people that read, enjoyed and connected with these two characters.

I'd like to thank again, all the people who took the time to even begin reading my stories and furthermore, took the time to write to me about them. I cherish every single e-mail I receive since they truly brighten my days, and make me love writing even more than I already do.

Dimples mailto:dimples_2000_fr@yahoo.com

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