Jessica is sitting on the edge of the pool with her legs in while Nathan stands in the pool with Lydia on a giant float.
"Hey, dad, is it safe to have the baby in the water like that?" Jamie asks, walking out.
"Are you kidding me? She's practically a fish. Why don't you join us?" Nathan suggests.
"I was thinking I would go to the rivercourt." Jamie says.
"Yeah, buddy, we can do that." Nathan says.
"Well, I was thinking... I could go by myself." Jamie says and Nathan hums. "Chuck and some of the guys are there. And I'd go straight there and straight home. I promise."
"You let me walk alone when I was his age." Jessica reminds her brother.
"Straight there then straight home, huh?" Nathan asks.
"Uh-huh. For sure." Jamie confirms.
"Hmm. All right. Take your cell phone, stay on the sidewalks, and do not talk to strangers." Nathan says.
"Cool. Thanks, dad. Promise." Jamie says.
"Jamie." Nathan calls, making Jamie stop. "You're my son. I love you. I need you to be safe."
"I understand. Love you. Love you, too, Lydia. Love you, Aunt Jessi." Jamie says, going inside.
"See ya!" Nathan calls.
"Bye!" Jamie calls.
"Don't get kidnapped by any psycho nannies!" Jessica yells after him. Nathan gives her a look and she shrugs. "What? It was a joke."
Nathan turns to Lydia.
"You don't get to leave the house alone until you're at least 30, okay? Maybe even 40. Discuss it with your mom." Nathan tells her and Jessica playfully rolls her eyes at his fatherly statement.
"Okay, well, I'm gonna go get ready for my date with Brendan." Jessica says, standing up and drying her legs off.
"Straight there and straight back." Nathan points his finger at her.
"Ha-ha." Jessica fake laughs.
+++
Jessica hears the doorbell ring and races to it from the kitchen. She opens it, smiling when she sees Brendan.
"That was fast." Brendan chuckles.
"Well, I don't think we've actually ever been on a date, so." Jessica shrugs. "Sorry. Did I just totally embarrass myself?"
"Nah, don't worry. You're cute." Brendan assures her making the girl blush. "These are for you." Brendan holds out a Reese's package, knowing it's her favorite candy.
"Thanks." Jessica smiles, taking it. She lets Brendan in and he follows her to the kitchen where she hides the candy in the pantry for later. "So, what are we doing?"
"I was thinking dinner and then the thing after that is a surprise." Brendan says.
"Am I gonna like the surprise?" Jessica asks.
"Hopefully." Brendan says.
"Okay, then. Let's go." Jessica says, the two leaving.
+++
After enjoying their dinner, Brendan drove to the next location.
"Come on, not even a hint?" Jessica asks.
"Nope." Brendan answers. He soon pulls up to a building and Jessica realizes it's a roller skating place.
"You're joking!" She grins.
"Not a bit." Brendan says.
"Ah! I haven't roller skated in forever!" Jessica jumps in her seat.
"I know... and I know how much you like it, so here we are." Brendan smiles.
"You are the absolute best." Jessica states, pecking him on the lips.
"I better be cause I'm about to be falling on my ass a lot." Brendan says making Jessica laugh.
"Don't worry. I'll pick you right back up." Jessica promises, the two getting out of the car.
They got their skates on and Jessica easily skates to the rink while Brendan awkwardly walks over making Jessica giggle a bit.
"Oh, laugh it up. It's hard walking in these." Brendan says, getting to the rink.
"That's why they're called roller skates. Not roller walks." Jessica says. "Or walkings. Walkers."
"Okay, I get it." Brendan says.
"Come on." Jessica holds his hand and starts to slowly skate, looking back often to make sure her boyfriend hasn't plummeted yet.
"How are you so good at this?" Brendan asks.
"Lots of practice growing up. I mean, I've owned roller skates majority of my life. Forced most of the brother/sister dates with Nate to be roller skating. He sucks at it, too." She says, a fond smile as she remembers simpler times with her brother.
"What are you like the only person in your life who knows how to skate?" Brendan asks.
"Tam can skate. So can Brooke." Jessica says and her smile dims. "So could Alanna."
Brendan slows a bit, carefully pulling Jessica back towards him, getting her to face him as they stand on the rink.
"It wasn't your fault." Brendan softly reminds her.
"Right." Jessica nods. "Just... still miss her."
"Yeah, me too." Brendan says. "She wouldn't blame you. We both know that."
"Yeah, I know. I'm trying not to blame myself anymore." Jessica says.
"Come on. Let's see how soon I can fall on my butt." Brendan says jokingly making Jessica laugh lightly as he smiles in succession having gotten the frown off her face and sad look out of her eyes.
+++
It's been 4 months and Jessica and Brendan's relationship is still strong. She's slowly coping and overcoming everything that happened to her with Jonathan. She's still not the biggest on most physical touch and Brendan still always asks if she's okay with it whenever he wants to initiate physical touch.
The two are currently at Brendan's house and are in the kitchen, about to bake cookies. They're home alone and got tired of watching movies so they decided to bake.
"Okay, chocolate chips." Jessica mumbles, going to the pantry and quickly finding a bag of chocolate chips. "Oh, do you have a large mixing bowl?" She asks and Brendan points to a lower cabinet.
Jessica bends down and opens the cabinet, looking for the bowl. While she's in that position, Brendan looks up to see if she found it, but his eyes trail to her lower back until they land on most of a tattoo, the bottom of it hid by her jeans.
"What's that?" Brendan asks.
"What's what?" Jessica asks, finally getting the bowl. She stands up, closing the cabinet and turning to her boyfriend. "What?"
"A penguin?" Brendan asks.
"What about them?" Jessica asks, putting the bowl down.
"Your lower back." Brendan says.
"What are tal--" Jessica freezes when she realizes everything. "Oh, crap." She whispers, hiding her face in her hands.
"When did you get a penguin tattoo?" Brendan asks.
"Brooke's bachelorette party." Jessica answers.
"Your siblings and Brooke let that happen?" Brendan asks, chuckling.
"Well, it was in the midst of everything, uh... with psycho assaulter and Brooke thought I deserved a night off from all the crap I'd been through. Nathan and Haley weren't aware of that and, um... we were all too drunk at the tattoo parlor for her to stop me."
"Why a penguin?" Brendan asks.
"Well, according to the tattoo artist, I got it because of you." Jessica says.
"Me?" Brendan asks.
"Yeah, they're your favorite animal. They are still your favorite animal, right? Cause if not, this is a lot worse than it already was." Jessica and Brendan laughs.
"No, don't worry. They're still my favorite." Brendan assures.
"Thank God." Jessica whispers.
"Wait, but... wasn't that after the storm? After I, uh..."
"Dumped me? Yeah. Drunk me was partying, but still had some time to be sad." Jessica states.
"Right." Brendan mumbles. "Can I see it?"
Jessica nods and Brendan walks over, standing behind her. He pulls her shirt up a bit and the waistband of her jeans down just enough to see the full tattoo.
"It's cute." Brendan compliments.
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Jessica asks.
"It's good, don't worry." Brendan smiles. "What's on your hip?"
"Oh. That'd just be my second tattoo from the same night." Jessica states, turning so her side is facing Brendan. She pulls the jeans down a bit to reveal the arrow tattoo.
"That have any meaning or do you just have to live with a random arrow on your hip?" Brendan asks.
"Well, drunk me is also apparently very deep. It's apparently about overcoming hardships and prove that I can and will overcome everything that gets thrown at me." Jessica explains. "Fits, doesn't it?"
"Yeah. Yeah, you are pretty freaking strong." Brendan tells her.
"Well, I promise, those are the only tattoos I got." Jessica states.
"So, a hip tattoo and a tramp stamp." Brendan says before his eyes go wide. "Crap. I'm so sorry. I-I'm not calling you a tramp. I would never. I--"
"It's okay." Jessica laughs. "That's what they're called, I know you're not degrading me or anything."
Jessica pecks him on the lips.
"Now... cookies." She grins, grabbing the bowl and going to the other side of the counter. Brendan chuckles, walking to the same side as they get started on the baking.
+++
Jessica and Brendan are watching a movie on the couch at her house. Jamie is at the river court and Nathan and Haley are working on Karen's cafe. Jessica left in charge of Lydia who is upstairs taking a nap.
They begin making random conversation, mostly regarding the movie which somehow lead to making out. Jessica initiated it so Brendan didn't push her away.
Jessica wraps her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. Brendan's hands are on her face. He lowers his hands to her waist, continuing the kiss.
Jessica feels a pit in her stomach, but she ignores it.
One of Brendan's hand falls down closer to her butt, his other hand going under her shirt and up her back a bit.
That sets something off in Jessica and she immediately pulls back, leaping off the couch.
"No. No, stop." She says, squeezing her eyes shut, trying to control her breathing.
"Whoa, hey, hey. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Brendan says, holding his hands up in surrender.
"No." Jessica quietly whimpers, tears falling down her cheeks.
"Baby." Brendan calls. He slowly gets up, cautiously walking closer to her. "Hey." He softly gets her attention. She opens her eyes, looking at him.
"I... I'm sorry, I... I can't." Jessica tells him, unable to control the shaking in her hands. Brendan gently holds her hands in his, intertwining their fingers after she doesn't pull away.
"It's okay, Sica. It's okay." Brendan promises.
"You're... you're not mad?" Jessica asks.
"Of course not. I have no reason to be mad and you have no reason to be sorry. If you're not ready, then you're not ready. As simple as that."
Jessica nods and calms down her slightly erratic breathing. She wraps her arms around Brendan's waist and hugs him. Brendan lightly hugs her back.
"You can give a bear hug." Jessica assures. Brendan immediately tightens his grip and rests his chin on top of her head.
"You're okay, Jessi. He's gone. It's over. Everything's okay. We'll move at your pace. No need to rush anything." Brendan comforts, rubbing her back.
+++
It's about 6 months after that and Brooke had her babies as well as Karen's Cafe is finally reopened.
Now, Jessica and Brendan get back to the house after the reopening of the cafe. Brendan gave her a ride home and walked her to the door, something they started doing after the whole Jonathan situation.
"Thanks for the ride." Jessica tells him.
"Of course. I'll see you tomorrow?" Brendan asks.
"Yeah." Jessica nods.
They peck each other on the lips before Jessica pulls him back in for a longer kiss. Brendan makes a noise of protest.
"Um... are-are you sure?" He asks.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm sure." Jessica nods.
"I just... I don't want you to overestimate how ready you are again." Brendan says.
"It's just making out. Just... don't touch any private areas and... and we should be good." Jessica says.
"Are you absolutely sure?" Brendan asks.
"Brendy, I promise if it's too much, I'll stop." Jessica says. "Now, kiss me, please."
Brendan leans in and kisses her. The two continue to make out in front of the closed door. After a few minutes, they pull away for air.
"That actually felt really nice." Jessica says, smiling.
"You're okay?" Brendan asks.
"I'm perfect." Jessica answers.
===================================
some jendan fluff!!
also end of season eight!!!!!