Story Time - 2035
“Mommy can weee pleaseeeeeee have another story?”
Jess smiled at her daughter who looked at her with pleading eyes - soon followed with Zoe excitedly jumping up on the bed screaming " 'nother story pleaseeeeee" The time was 10:15 and the two were currently awake way past their bedtime… which may have been Jess’ fault by letting them eat a fudge sundae 10 minutes before said bedtime. But honestly - the girl wasn’t looking for another I told you so by Dorian. Shay was currently cuddled up in her bed, hugging a stuffed giraffe that Dori had brought back and Zoe was right next to the girl with her little soccer bear - the two wanting to be close to where Jess sat to tell the story. Usually, she’d join the two in bed but, alas, Dorian had gotten her pregnant yet again so Jess didn’t want to have trouble getting up when the two would eventually fall asleep.
She gave two kiddos a look as her nose scrunched up at their request, “Okay - I tell you one more story and you two are going to sleep right?” Jess asked, laughing as she saw both her daughters get more excited. She could honestly never truly say no to the two. It was almost impossible… “Okay fine my loves. What kind of story do you want?”
She knew what they were going to say - recently all the two would ever ask about during storytime was “yo…you and daddy,” A soft smile met her lips as she looked at Zoe cuddled next to her sister. After a second, she continued "Ahh…why do I even ask anymore… alright well… hmm… did I ever tell you two about the time your father and I found our secret hideaway?”
Her smile was replaced with a larger grin as her children shook their little heads in confusion “Secret?” Shay asked, her little eyes widening as she wrapped her arms around her giraffe tighter, looking at her mom to continue “Yes, secret. A place that only your dad and I know about…Why don’t I just tell you? Once upon a time… your daddy’s family took a little me, just a few years older than Shay, camping - long before your father and I were close friends…”
“So you’ve never even been camping before?”
"How many times do I have to say this Dorian, do I need to say it in Spanish? Nó Or should I spell it for you? It’s an ‘N’ and then a “o’” Jess sighed, looking over at the little blonde boy sitting beside her in the SUV that Elijah was driving, her tongue out as the boy rolled his eyes at her. This was always their relationship - her and that blonde he-devil. Someone PLEASE explain how her best friend was related to him? Like OH my god. He was awful. God bless whoever had to deal with him in the future. She or he would need holy water just to get through the damn day.
“Moooooom she’s just going to be a pestttt. She’s never even been camping, she’ll slow us down. Can we just leave her in the middle of the road somewhere?” Dorian whined from his seat, causing Jessica to roll her eyes.
“DORIAN. Jessica is a guest on this trip, be nice,”
"But mom like… how long have we really known her? Like… a few weeks at best. How do we not know she’s one of those spies from England? She’s just going to ruin everything. I vote we leave her. " After those words, Dorian shot Jess a look of annoyance and she mimicked it with a soft huff.
“I’ve known you for more than a year you idiot. I swear you’re memory is worse than the superior Dory from Finding Nemo”
“YOU EVIL LITTLE SPAWN OF…”
Yep. That was pretty much how the entire car ride to the campsite went - 10-year-old Dorian DeLoughrey and Jessica Pierce bickering about everything and anything. From how loud the other one snacked - yes, Dorian was p!ssed at Jess eating chips in the car which only made her munch louder - to Jess getting some sort of stupidity disease for being so close to Dorian. It had gotten to the point that Dylan, who was sitting in the back simply put in headphones on high, and Elodie put in earplugs so she could read her little book in peace. Elijah and Davina, however, were forcibly subjected to listening to every little thing Dori and Jess fought about. Though thankfully, the two finally arrived at the campsite six and a half hours later. Let’s just say it was a long ass six and a half hours.
The moment the car stopped, Dorian ran outside - screaming thank god that he no longer had to breathe the same air as her in the little car. Well, of course, Jess then proceeded to spend the next 15 minutes standing right next to him while breathing heavily to annoy him.
Despite their constant fights, the two of them… they tolerated each other but in an overall scheme of things, the day was going well. First, the boys were helping Elijah set up the tents, while Davina and Elodie helped get some of the smaller things out of the car. Jess, well, as always, she moved between the two: helping Davina, bothering Dorian while helping Dylan. Over the course of the day, Jess sporadically bet Dorian on different tasks. After all, it was always fun seeing the man get frustrated when she beat him.
“Okay, we need to get some twigs for the fire kids. Why don’t we all split up into groups and collect some? Elodie you can go with Dylan, and Dorian you and Jess go. Just stay nearby alright?”
Before either Dori OR Jess could argue, there was a look on Davina’s face telling them both that it wouldn’t work. So after a frustrated second, she found Dorian looking towards her before uttering a “Just don’t get in my way, Price”
“You know, I’d correct you about what my real last name is but I’m not going to give you the bloody pleasure,” Jess muttered, moving ahead of him with no care in the world of where she was going. She didn’t even care when Dorian was yelling after her that she was going the wrong way, she simply kept walking, picking up random twigs as she went along.
She didn’t know how far she had gone, though she had always kept one step ahead of Dorian as he threatened to leave her so she’d get lost. Though soon, annoyed by the man’s yelling, she ducked out of the path and into the woods simply so he’d leave her alone. What she didn’t expect, however, was to stumble towards a gorgeous lake with a waterfall.
“JESSICA I swear to god, I will leave you.”
“Then do it, god Dorian,”
Jess sighed, looking back at him as she started taking her shirt off, soon followed by her pants before immediately jumping into the water. With her clothes, Jessica left all the twigs she collected behind and relished in the cold water hitting her body. Honestly, for even 10-year-old Jessica, safety was never a concern. Walking down random paths, jumping into random pools of water - it was a given for her. Jessica could see out of the corner of her eye that Dorian was watching with annoyance at her actions, though she didn’t care. Swimming towards the waterfall, Jess had this want to simply swim under it. The water was slow enough that it likely wouldn’t hurt her and so she did just that - unknowing of what she’d find behind it.
Instead of their being rock, Jessica found more water, and she soon realized it was a hidden cave. Her curiosity got the better of her as she went deeper inside, getting out of the water as she walked into the cave further. It wasn’t big, rather it stopped a few feet after she could walk on solid ground, but the way the light illuminated the inside was… beautiful. Jess found herself sitting on the solid ground and then laying, staring up at the ceiling in the cave.
“JESSICA I SWEAR TO GOD”
She found Dorian soon dipping under the waterfall like she had, a seeming sense of relief that she was alive. “You’re psychotic, you know that? Come on, we have to go and I have to bring you back alive or my mom will kill me because for some reason I will never understand, she actually likes you,” she heard the man mutter, getting out of the water like she had. “God Dorian, just chill for a second. We’re not going to get into trouble for being gone for a little while longer, just… sit,” Jess responded, looking at him for a second before laying back down, closing her eyes softly.
Honestly, she just expected him to leave, tattle on her to her mom but he didn’t. Instead, he took a seat and laid down next to her. “You really hate me that much huh?” Jess stated with a soft laugh, turning her head to face his. “I don’t hate you, Jess. I don’t particularly love you 99% of the time, but you’re alright. Sometimes,”
A soft laugh met her lips as she shook her head, " “You’re not half bad either, DeLouser. Just need to loosen up a little… correction… a lot… a whooooolllee lot. But you’ll get there… with my help.”
"Your dad and I fought a lot, my loves. But there was always love there. He would always dive into unknown waters to make sure I was okay, just like he would do anything to protect you two. Forever, and always.
Jess looked at her daughters, Zoe had fallen fast asleep but Shay was looking at her mom with tired eyes, closing every few seconds, for longer and longer. “I love…you mommy,” Jess heard Shay whisper before her eyes closed. “I love you too baby girl,” Jess responded, kissing both her daughters on the forehead before tucking them in one last time.
“You know you were a really annoying kid right?”
Jess smiled softly as she heard her husband’s voice behind her, the man wrapping his arms around her as the two looked at their kids. “You know I technically have like 50 bets I won that day so, technically, I should get 50 favors,”
"Ohhhh no you don’t, we both know I wasn’t trying. I just wanted you to leave me alone so I let you win.
Rolling her eyes, Jess turned towards her husband before wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing him softly before meeting his gaze. “What a bloody liar.”