Jessica's POV
In the season 6 finale, Brian's beloved Jeep was blown up and destroyed. I didn't even believe that it was real. I thought maybe they had a decoy Jeep that got burned, like when the guys pretended to burn Murr's blanket. But when Murr got home, his real blanket was safe and sound.
Brian was so attached to his Jeep because it was the first major purchase he ever made in his whole life. It was a symbol of growth and commitment for him. He was finally able to accept part of his success and indulge into something useful, that would also make him happy.
One of the things Brian also seemed distraught about was the hula girl that also got blown up in the wreckage. Brian and I each had a hula girl in our cars, which he bought us in Hawaii. It was something special to remember the trip. But Brian had always said that we'd go back to Hawaii, so I told him that we could always get another hula girl on our next trip. I thought he should be more concerned about the car, but Brian was upset that his special souvenir has been destroyed.
For the first few weeks, Brian and I shared my car while he found a suitable replacement for his Jeep. At times it was inconvenient, but there were other times that we got to drive into Manhattan together. I enjoyed those days because it gave us some time to spend together. Considering how hectic Brian's schedule was, I cherished every minute that I got to spend with him.
Personally, I thought this punishment crossed a line. And it wasn't just because it happened to Brian. There have been a few punishments over the years that I've felt went too far. Forcing Murray to skydive was one of them, in my opinion. But regardless, the punishment was over, and there was nothing we could do to change it now. The only thing we could do was plot our revenge, something I was always happy to help out with. Brian seemed adamant that Joe was the person he needed to exact revenge on first. Joe seems to have it the easiest with punishments. He never had anything major or life-altering happen to him. Joe was also the one who came up with the idea to blow up Brian's car, while Sal and Murr agreed that it may have crossed a line.
We needed to hit Joe where it hurts, and involve something that he loves. And there's nothing Joe loves more than his family. However, Brian and I agreed that Joe's children were off limits, since we didn't feel comfortable involving them directly in anything. But we knew that we could convince Bessy to get involved somehow.
"Any ideas on how to get back at Joe?" I asked Brian as we were brainstorming ideas with Sal and Murr.
"It's so hard with him. He's not embarrassed of anything. And the only thing he cares about is his family," Brian said.
"And we can't blow them up," Sal joked.
"Ok, so maybe you can't get direct retaliation for this one. But let's think back to some of your past punishments. Maybe we can pull some ideas from there," I suggested.
The guys have a rule that you can't repeat punishments on each other. So, Brian wouldn't be able to blow up Joe's car. But sometimes when they're stuck and out of ideas, it's helpful to go back to some past punishments to see if they can get any inspiration.
"Well, getting tarantulas thrown on me was one of the worst," Brian said, shivering at the thought.
"But we already used that again on Sal, with the cats," Murr reminded us.
"Thanks for that, by the way," Sal said sarcastically to me, considering that one was partially my idea.
"Teaching my parents sex ed is still one of the worst," Brian claimed.
"But Joe doesn't have parents, so we can't use that," Sal said.
"But he does have in-laws," I said, after thinking about it for a minute.
"What do you think we could do with that?" Murr asked.
"Well, the only thing worse than talking with your parents about sex, is talking with your in-laws about having sex with their daughter," I explained.
The guys' eyes widened, signaling that they approved of my idea. Joe barely liked to talk about his sex life around his friends, let alone talking about it with his in-laws.
"Babe, that's amazing. Joe would be so embarrassed. It's perfect,"
"I'm so glad we have her coming up with ideas for Joe, and not me," Murr joked.
The guys seemed to agree that the idea would be completely mortifying for Joe. However, they explained that these types of things take a while to produce, so it would take time for the whole thing to come together. A lot of their show is planned in advance so it can be fit in with their tour schedule and everything else they have going on. It might take a few months, but they seemed confident that they could pull off this punishment eventually.
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Although it's normal for Brian to be busy with touring, recently his schedule has been busier than ever. The guys did a two-week tour in the UK, and then almost immediately went on the Impractical Jokers cruise. Then, in just a week, the guys will be performing the biggest show of their careers at Madison Square Garden. It's been such a hectic time for Brian, and I know he's got so much on his mind with all this work. I wanted to do something nice for him, something I had been planning for a while. I just needed to wait for the right time.
Brian and I had been living in our new house for a few months now. We only had to make a few minor changes to the house, like painting some of the walls. All the rooms were completed and fully furnished, with the exception of one room. Brian's "man cave" was just basically a storage room, filled with all his boxes of memorabilia. He didn't even have his TV and video games hooked up yet.
Brian planned on getting the room done himself, but the project was too overwhelming for him to take on, since he was too busy. Brian told me that he could take on that one space, considering that I had decorated all the other rooms in the house. He didn't want to give me any extra work, because he thought that I already had enough on my plate.
Initially, I didn't want to take over because I wanted Brian to have the room that he dreamed of. However, I realized that I would have to push this process along if this dream man cave would become a reality. Brian had told me enough about what he wanted in the room, and I felt confident that I could make it the way he envisioned. Brian had put so much thought and effort into finding the perfect home for us. I felt like I could never fully repay him for that, but at least completing his dream man cave was a start. I wanted him to have his own space where he could relax, and release some of the stress from his hectic life.
Just to be sure I could make this room perfect, I enlisted the help of his friends, Bryan Johnson and Walt Flannigan. Since I didn't know much about comic books and other memorabilia, I got their advice on the best way to handle and display all of Brian's collectibles.
I decided that the end of October was the best time to overhaul Brian's man cave. He would be away for almost two weeks straight, which would give the designers plenty of time to fix the room. Brian would be back from the cruise tomorrow and it seemed like the perfect time to reveal the surprise to him.
Once the room was complete, I sent pictures to Walt and Bryan, just to get their final thoughts on it all. Luckily, they approved of everything, so I was excited for Brian to come home and see it.
When Brian arrived home that morning, he could tell that I had something to share with him. We knew each other too well, so it was difficult for me to hide from him.
"Is there another dog in our house?" Brian asked.
This has sort of become a running joke, ever since I brought home Nathan. Whenever either of us had a little surprise, we joked that it was because one of us brought home another animal. I assumed it was going to happen again sometime in the future.
"I have a present for you," I told him.
"Do people give presents for Halloween now?" he asked, jokingly.
"You can think of it as a Halloween present if you want," I laughed.
I took Brian's hand and led him down the hallway, toward his room. As we were standing in front of the door, he basically guessed what the surprise was.
"You finished this for me, didn't you? You knew it would take me forever," he laughed.
"I hope you like it," I told him, before he eagerly walked into the room.
The room had the largest TV that would fit, which was now fully connected to all Brian's video game systems. I got the most comfortable couch and seating that I could find, so Brian could relax for hours. His video games and DVDs were all organized, making it easy for him to find everything. His comics were also filed and organized, with some of his favorites in special displays. I made sure some of his favorite collectibles were on display, like his statue of the Joker. For another added touch, I had the designers soundproof the walls, so Brian could play his video games or watch his movies as loud as he wanted.
"This is incredible. It's even better than I envisioned it," Brian told me. When he couldn't stop smiling, I knew that I had accomplished my goal. I just wanted him to be happy. Finishing his man cave meant that everything was now in its place. The house was complete now.
"I have another little surprise for you. Since we didn't get to do much last Halloween, I thought we could make up for it this year," I said.
"Oh yeah... I almost forgot about Nitro Circus," he told me.
"I wish I could forget about Nitro Circus," I said. I was getting annoyed just thinking about it.
Last year right before Halloween, Brian got injured while preparing for the Nitro Circus finale.
"You're still upset about it?" he asked.
"The doctors said that you'd have permanent damage? As is forever? That's how long I'll be mad about Nitro Circus," I told him, only somewhat jokingly.
Occasionally, Brian would still have pains in his side because of the incident. Every time he would clutch at his side, my heart would break all over again. It's painful to watch someone you love go through something like that, especially knowing that there's nothing you can do to help.
"So what's your surprise?" Brian asked, since I got a little off track.
My other little surprise for him was tickets to Fright Fest, a Halloween themed event at the Six Flags amusement park. I had never been to Fright Fest before, since I was always too scared of things like that. But Brian loved amusement parks and Halloween, so it was the perfect combination for him. I was willing to put my fears aside to make him happy. As I handed him the tickets, he seemed shocked that I would want to attend this event.
"Are you sure you want to go? I know you hate all that scary stuff," he said.
"But you love all that stuff. I'll do it for you, because I know it makes you happy," I told him.
"Being with you makes me happy," Brian said.
"That's really cute, Brian. But I know you still want to go," I said.
"If you get scared, just hold on to me. I'll protect you from all the scary monsters," he promised me.
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Brian and I spent the next day at Six Flags, enjoying all the rides and haunted houses together. You're not allowed to wear costumes at Fright Fest, because it's a safety issue. But that actually worked in our favor, since we didn't have any costumes prepared. Brian was so busy on the road, we barely had time to think about costumes this year.
Surprisingly, I had a lot more fun than I thought I would. I enjoyed going on all the roller coasters with Brian. He teased me a little for getting scared by all the monsters and zombies that we walking around I held onto Brian tightly the whole time, so he could protect me as promised. I didn't mind holding on tightly to Brian, and I'm pretty sure he loved being my protector.
After arriving home from Six Flags, we spent the rest of the night in Brian's new "man cave." But that was supposed to be his spot to relax, and I didn't want him to feel like he HAD to continue spending time with me.
"Are you sure you don't want to be alone in here? I won't be offended," I told him. I knew that he needed space sometimes, and I wouldn't be hurt if he wanted to be by myself.
"Jess, I was alone for 40 years before I met you. Now that I have you, I want to enjoy every moment with you. Especially since I don't see you every day. It's not a chore to spend time with you," Brian told me.
Brian didn't seem to mind me being in his "man" cave, and I was happy to spend more time with him. First, we spent a few hours watching some of his favorite horror movies. We even watched Victor Crowley, the movie that Brian had a part in. Brian was a huge fan of that whole series, so he was excited to be in one of the movies, even if it was a small part. I was not the biggest fan of scary movies, but especially this one. And Brian knew that.
"Aren't your proud that I'm in a movie?" he asked.
"Yes, Brian, I'm very proud of you. I just don't enjoy watching my boyfriend's head get cut off," I said, referencing the disturbing scene where Brian's character gets killed. I know it's fake, but it's still not something that I wanted to see.
"Come on, it's not that bad," he tried to convince me.
"Would you want to watch me die? Even if it was fake?" I asked him.
"Ok, fine. I see your point. How about I warn you when that part is coming and you can cover your eyes?" he said.
"Fair enough," I said, willing to compromise.
I only enjoyed watching horror movies when I was with Brian. The best part about it was when things got scary, I could burying my face into his chest and shield my eyes from the terror on the screen. Brian would wrap his arms around me and squeeze me tightly. I loved the feeling of him holding me. It felt like he could protect me from any evil in the world.
After watching some movies, we still didn't want to go to bed yet. So, we decided to play some video games late into the night. Brian looked through his assortment of video games, trying to find the perfect one for us to play. His eyes lit up, signaling that he had made his selection.
"How about this one?" Brian asked, pulling out the WWE '12 video game, with Randy Orton on the cover.
That video game had a very special meaning to us, because it was the one I was buying when I first met Brian. It sparked up a conversation, which led into our friendship. It's amazing to think of how far we've come in our relationship since that day.
"You still remember?" I asked him.
"Of course I remember. How could I forget the day that I ran into the most beautiful woman I've ever met?"
"You did RUN INTO me," I said, reminding him of how he accidentally pushed me onto the floor when we first met.
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that part. Sorry about that," he said.
"It's okay. It was worth it because I got to meet the love of my life," I told him, smiling proudly as I thought back to the day we first met.
We stayed up late, playing video games and talking for hours, just like we used to. These are the moments I treasured with Brian. It's not about fancy gifts or big romantic gestures. The moments I loved the most were when the two of us could just be together and enjoy each other's company. Nothing made me happier than being with Brian.