Back Where I Belong
Written by: Heaven on Earth

Jaycie stood in the middle of her kitchen, listening in disbelief to the message on her answering machine.  She pressed the repeat button one more time, just to make sure she’d heard correctly.  The message started over again, and sure enough, it was his voice pouring out of the machine.

“’Ello, luv.  It’s me.  I…um...I was just calling to talk.  I don’t know what about.  Anything, everything…I know it’s been a long time and I probably don’t have the right to just call you like this; I miss all those wonderful conversations we used to have.   Well, um, call me when you get in, okay?  Please?”

The tape clicked off and Jaycie sat down at the bar, his words running in circles inside her head.  God, how she missed that voice!  The voice that could charm the tail off of a cat, send his fans into a screaming frenzy when he was on stage, and reduce her heart to mush.

It had been a year and a half since they had last spoken, but to her it seemed like an eternity.  They had been so close at one time, not only as lovers, but also as friends.  He and the rest of the band had become so much a part of her life when one day things just blew up in her face.  They had a horrible row and ended up saying awful things to each other, things that Jaycie now regretted to the bottom of her soul.  That fateful day was the last time she had talked to him.  She had stayed in touch with the others, especially Sav and Viv, who told her for months after they broke up that all he could talk about was her. Now here she was, eighteen months later, completely floored by the message he had just left her.  Was she ready to talk to him again?  She sighed, picked a bottle of wine from the refrigerator, a glass from the cabinet, and headed into the bathroom.

Jaycie lay in her huge marble tub, silken bubbles sliding smoothly across her skin.  She closed her eyes, letting the water flow over her body, making her remember all of the times she had shared this tub with him, when it was his hands gliding over her body instead of the water.  A single tear slipped down her cheek as she thought of him.  She really did miss him, but she wasn’t sure she was ready for all of the feelings that she knew would come back if she talked to him.  She sipped her wine and stared out the window.  The lights of Denver’s skyline twinkled right outside her building and the Rocky mountains loomed in the distance.  She used to take him skiing with her whenever he had a break from touring.  She thought of all of the happy times that they shared.  Life just wasn’t the same without him.

Suddenly something clicked inside her head.  She was going to give this a shot.  Reaching for the cordless phone lying next to the tub, she dialed his number, praying he would be home.  She wasn’t sure she’d have the courage to try this again.

The phone rang three times before he picked up.  “’Ello?”

She took a deep breath.  “Hi, Joe.  It’s me, Jaycie.”

It was now Joe’s turn to be floored.  When he left her that message he was half expecting her not to call him back.  What they had had seemed a lifetime ago, yet at the same time it seemed like only yesterday.  He had missed her so much in the time that they had been apart, wanting to call her but always lacking the courage to pick up the phone.  And now here she was, on the other end of the line.

“Joe?” Jaycie said again.  Shit, maybe I shouldn’t have called, she thought.

He shook himself out of his reverie.  “Sorry, Jaycie, luv.  I’m here.  Oh, God it’s good to hear your voice.”  He had so much that he wanted to say, but where to begin?  He laughed to himself. Now when have I ever been at a loss for words?  But then again, Jaycie had always been a woman who did unexpected things to him.  “So, um, how have you been?”

“Good, I suppose.  How have you been?”

“Same.  The Euphoria tour went well, and we’re now on a break, working on some material for the next album.”

“That’s great.  How is that going?”

“It’s getting there.    Slowly, in traditional Leppard fashion.”

She laughed.  “How are your mum and dad?”

“They are doing well.  Saw them a couple of months ago over Christmas.  They asked about you.”

“Oh?  That’s nice.”  This conversation is going nowhere fast, Jaycie thought to herself.

“Shit, Jayce, this is more awkward than the first conversation we ever had!”

She laughed, as he had picked up on her thoughts.  “I won’t argue with you there.  So I guess the unspoken question is….why did you call me tonight?  Not that I’m complaining,” she added quickly.

 “I was just not expecting you to call out of the blue like that.”

Joe sat back in his chair.  He was silent for a moment, thinking about what he wanted to say to her.  He had a fantastic speech worked out in his head, but when she had actually returned his call, all rational thought had flown out the window.  “Okay, here goes.  Just listen to me, Jayce.  Let me say my piece before you make any comments, okay?”

“Alright,” she agreed.

Joe took a deep breath.  “Jaycie, I have missed you so much.  The last year and a half without you has been a living hell for me.    I know I should have called you sooner, but after all that happened between us I was afraid to.  I can’t take it any more, though.  Being without you is like trying to breathe underwater.  I was wondering, hoping, that maybe you’d like to give us a second chance?”

Jaycie almost dropped the phone.  Deep down in her heart, she had wanted him to say those words for a very long time.  Actually hearing him say them left her speechless.  “I…I don’t know, Joe.  We have a lot to work out between us before we can even think about any kind of relationship again.”

“Fair enough.”  He let out the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.  He had been so afraid that she would flat-out tell him no.  “When can we start?”

“Well, it’s getting pretty late here, and I’m really tired.  It’s almost 2 in the morning.  It’s what, early afternoon over there?”

“Yes.”

“Call me before you go to bed, okay?”

“I will, luv.  Sweet dreams, Jayce.”

She smiled.  He always told her to have sweet dreams.  “I will.  Joe, I’m really glad you called.”
They rang off, and Jaycie sat in her now-cold bath water, thinking about their conversation and their previous relationship.  Could they really start again considering what was in their past?

This whole stupid mess had started, ironically, over something that she thought would bring them closer together.  Joe and Jaycie had been together for a little over a year when one night everything went wrong.

Her period had been two weeks late.  Since her cycle was always like clockwork, she panicked.  She took a home pregnancy test, and the results came back positive.  Jaycie had mixed feelings about that.  On one hand, they had talked about his inablility to have children, and she was fine with that, being content to spend her life with just him.  But on the other hand, she desperately wanted to have his child.

After keeping the news to herself for a few days, Jaycie decided it was time to tell Joe about their child.  Unfortunately, he had been in the studio all day with the rest of the band, and they had not recorded anything worth keeping, which put him in a bad mood.  To top it off, he’d had a few drinks in the pub on the way home.

She had told him what was going on as soon as he walked in the door, and his reaction was not at all what she had been expecting it to be.

“WHAT did you just say?”  He had yelled.

“I think I’m pregnant,” she repeated.

He looked bewildered.  “How the hell could that happen?  Jaycie, you know I can’t have children.”

“I know that’s what you thought, my love, but it looks like we’ve been blessed after all.”

Joe was having trouble comprehending all of this through his semi-drunken stupor.  He cocked his head sideways and looked at her.  “Jaycie, have you been cheating on me?”

She felt as if he had slapped her.  “What?  How the hell could you think that?  You know I love you!  I haven’t even THOUGHT of anyone else since I met you!”

“You little bitch!  How can you lie to me about that?  That kid can’t be mine, it must be someone else’s!”

“Oh, come on, you ass!” she shot back.  “Haven’t you been listening to a word I have said?  I love you, and I am going to have YOUR child!”

“Who is he, Jayce?  Whose child are you carrying?”

“Are you deaf?  YOURS, goddammit, the child is YOURS!”

He grabbed her by the arm and shook her.  “You are such a lying little whore.  Get out of my face!”

“Joe, what has gotten into you?  You’re being so irrational!”

“I said get out of here, Jaycie!”  He yelled.

She fled the room in tears.  Joe passed out on the couch, and when he came to the next morning, Jaycie was gone, on a plane back to the States.

She went to the doctor after arriving home in Colorado and as it turned out, it was a false alarm.  She wasn’t pregnant after all.  The first thing she did when she found out was to call him.  He was not home at the time, and she got his machine.

Still furious at him for the way he had treated her, she left him a nasty message, one that she regretted as soon as she hung up the phone.  “Hello, Joe.  It’s Jaycie.  I just got back from the doctor’s office, and it turns out that I’m not pregnant after all.  But I suppose that’s a good thing, because after the other night, I’m not so sure that you deserve to be a father anyway.  Goodbye.”  She immediately wanted to call back and apologize, but the damage had already been done.

Jaycie’s words had cut Joe to the bone.  He tried repeatedly for weeks to call her and tell her that he was sorry for everything, but she refused to talk to him.  He eventually stopped calling and faced the fact that she was gone.

A knock on the front door brought Joe back to the present.  He had forgotten that Sav was coming over to work on demos.  “Come in!” he shouted.

Sav let himself into the house and into the living room where he found Joe staring into space.

“What’s with you?” he asked.

“I talked to Jaycie,” Joe told him.

“And?”  Sav prompted.

“We’re going to try to work things out.”

“About bloody time, mate,” Sav grumbled.  “You two should have gotten back together a long time ago.  She has really missed you, Joe.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.  Every time I talk to her she asks about you.”

Joe looked at Sav, grinning like an idiot.  Maybe there was hope for them after all.  Sav rolled his eyes.  “Come on, you lovesick fool.  Let’s get some work done.”

The two men spent the rest of the afternoon in Joe’s recording studio.  At the end of the day they had worked out several songs they thought were suitable for the new album.   “Do you want to come over for dinner tonight?”  Sav asked as he was getting ready to leave.

Joe shook his head.  “No thanks.  I think I’ll just spend a quiet night here.  Jayce asked me to call her before I go to bed.  I’m dying to talk to her again.”

Sav clapped his friend on the back.  “Well, good luck, mate.  Tell her I said hello.”

Joe nodded and Sav took his leave.  The rest of the day passed slowly and uneventfully for Joe.  At last he took a shower and climbed into bed.  He picked up the phone next to the bed and dialed the number that he had dialed a thousand times before.

Jaycie’s phone was ringing when she walked in the door from her morning yoga class.  The caller id on the handset identified the caller as Joe.  “’Ello, luv,” she said, putting on her best English accent.

Joe laughed.  “How’d you know it’s me?”  He asked her.

“Ah, the wonders of technology,” was her reply.  “How was your day?”

“Great.  Spent most of it with Sav working on some demos for the new album.  He says hi, by the way.  ”
“Tell him I said hi, too.  I guess I should call him.  Haven’t talked to him in a couple of days.”

“Oh?”  Joe couldn’t help but feel a little jealous.  His best friend had more contact with Jaycie than he did.

“Yeah, well, since we weren’t talking someone had to keep me up to date on your whereabouts.”

Joe laughed.  “So you’re curious about my whereabouts, eh?”

“Of course.  Quite the interesting person, you are.”

“Well, Jaycie, luv, I’m glad you think so.  Are you doing anything fun today?”

“Not really.  I just got back from yoga class, and I don’t have to go to work today, so I think I’ll just hang out here, maybe do a little shopping.”

“So you’re still into that new-age stuff, huh?”

“Yes, I am,” Jaycie said, a little testily.  “And I really think you’d enjoy it if you’d sit still long enough to learn something about it.”

He laughed.  “Luv, can you see ME doing all of those… what do you call them?  Poses?  Besides, yoga is for wimps.”

“Hey!  Be nice!  It’s a lot tougher than it looks!”  Jaycie interrupted him.  “Besides, you never complained when all of those poses found their way into our bedroom.”

“Ah, well, you’ve got me there.”  Joe thought about all of the different positions she had come up with for their lovemaking.  He immediately knew those particular thoughts were a mistake when he felt a familiar tightening in his groin.  Damn it, he thought to himself.  Now I’ll be going to sleep with a hard-on.

Luckily Jaycie changed the subject.  “Joe, I’ve been thinking…”

Joe’s heart almost stopped.  Had she changed her mind about their getting back together?  “What is it, love?” he choked out.

“Well, I really want to talk about all that has happened between us, but I don’t want to do it over the phone.  What I have to say to you is too important for that.  I want to be able to look into your eyes when we talk.  I want you to hold my hand and tell me that everything’s going to be okay.”

Jaycie was close to tears, thinking about a possible reunion for them.

“Oh, Jayce, don’t scare me like that.  I thought you’d changed your mind and never wanted to hear from me again.”  Joe’s breathing slowly returned to normal.

“No, no, nothing like that.  I just want to do this face to face.”

“Okay, luv.  I’m going to be in L.A. in a couple of weeks with the guys.  Do you want to meet me out there?”

“I’ll have to make sure I don’t have anything pressing to do at work, but yeah, I’d love to.”

“Great!  I’ll call you later with more information so you can get your flight booked and everything.”

“That sounds good.”

“Okay.  Well, I guess I’d better be going.”

“All right.  Sweet dreams, Joe.”  Jaycie closed her eyes, thinking of him in that big bed they used to share and felt a sudden, intense longing to be there with him.

He smiled.  “Bye, Jayce.”

Joe called her later that day and gave her the information she needed to book a flight.  He would be in L.A. the last week of the month, arriving on Sunday and leaving the following Saturday.  Jaycie couldn’t get away until the Wednesday of that week, so she booked the first flight out of Denver for that morning.

The two of them talked daily over the next couple of weeks.  She told him about her job with the Denver Symphony; she was now one of two assistant conductors.  He filled her in on all the side projects he was working on.  They talked about everything, just like old times, although the subject of “them” was carefully avoided.

After what seemed like an endless two weeks, Joe called to let her know that he and Sav had arrived in L.A. and they would meet her at the airport on Wednesday morning.

The day before she was scheduled to leave, Jaycie spent the afternoon at her favorite spa, relaxing and being pampered.  She was on pins and needles, dying to see Joe, but at the same time she was terrified.  If things didn’t work out between them, this would be the second time that he had broken her heart.  She wasn’t sure that she could stand losing him a second time.  After analyzing the situation to death, she finally just gave up and enjoyed her massage.

Jaycie was up at the crack of dawn the next morning, anxious to get to the airport.  She dressed casually, in her favorite jeans and a form fitting short-sleeved sweater.  Joe always loved to see her in jeans, which really made her mad, because she spent hundreds and thousands of dollars on sexy suits and dresses, but he never fell all over her until she put on a pair of Calvin Kleins.  Oh well.  At least Calvins made her butt look good.

She gathered up her luggage and called down for a cab.  The phone rang just as she was about to walk out the door.  Oh God, Jaycie thought.  What if that’s him and he doesn’t want me to come out there after all?  She picked up the phone as if she thought it might explode.

“Hello?”

“Just calling to make sure you’re still coming,” said the voice on the other end of the line.

Jaycie breathed a sigh of relief.  “Joe!  Of course I am!  I’m on my way out the door right now.  As a matter of fact, if I don’t go downstairs now, my cab will leave without me.  I’ll see you in a few hours, okay?”

“Okay, luv.  I’ll see you soon.”

Jaycie hung up the phone and rushed out the door.  The cab driver loaded her luggage into the trunk and they were off to the airport.  Jaycie fidgeted the entire way there.  They got stuck in early-morning rush hour traffic, and by the time they finally arrived at her terminal, she was a bundle of nerves.

She finally got checked in and made her way to the gate.  She still had thirty minutes before her boarding time, so she made herself comfortable and pulled out the book she had been reading.
Joe called her three times before she boarded the plane.  When her cell phone rang the fourth time, she had to laugh.  “Joseph, if you call me one more time to make sure I’m still getting on this plane, I’m going to change my flight and not tell you when I’m arriving.”

He laughed.  “Okay, okay, sorry.  I’m just really anxious to see you.”

She smiled.  “Me too.  This is going to be the longest flight in the history of mankind.”

“Tell me about it.”

While they were talking, the jetway to the plane was opened and the attendant began the boarding calls.  “Oops, that’s me,” Jaycie told Joe.  “I’ve gotta go.”

“Okay, Jayce.  Have a safe trip.”

“I will.  See you when I get there!”

“Bye, luv.”

“Bye.”  Jaycie hung up the phone and got on the plane.  After sitting on the runway for 45 minutes, they finally got approval for takeoff, and she was on her way to L.A. to rekindle the love she’d shared with the man of her dreams.

The flight out to California lasted a little over two hours.  By the time the plane landed and taxied up to the gate, Jaycie’s stomach was in knots.  The last time she’d had butterflies like this she had been performing “I Dreamed A Dream” from Les Miserables in front of 3,000 people.
She collected her purse and carry-on and walked out onto the jetway.  Vivian was the first one to greet her as she stepped off the plane.  He caught her in his arms and spun her around in a circle.  “Jaycie me luv!  How are ye, me wee beauty?” he asked her in the broad Irish brogue he always teased her with.

She laughed and slapped him playfully on the arm.  “I’m much better now that I’m actually here,” she told him.

He kissed her forehead.  “Are you ready to see him again?” he asked her quietly.

She nodded.  “I am.”  She took a deep breath to calm her nerves.  “This is ridiculous.  I feel like a teenager out on her first date!”

Sav made his way up to her.  He gave her a hug and a quick kiss.  “Relax, Jayce,” he said, taking her bags from her.  “You look like you think you’re about to be executed.”

Jaycie giggled, and made an attempt to calm down.  Sav and Viv each took one of her hands and led her away from the gate.  To him.  He was waiting a short way down the concourse; he had wanted his mates to be the first ones to greet her.

He looked gorgeous standing there in snug fitting jeans and a dark blue linen shirt, his glorious golden mane brushing his broad shoulders.  She had forgotten how big he was.  His presence dominated any room he walked into, even the crowded terminal at LAX.  “Joe,” she said softly.
He turned to look at her.  Green eyes met blue as the two lovers beheld each other for the first time in over a year.  Jaycie felt her knees go weak, and if Sav and Viv hadn’t been holding on to her, she would have fallen over.

God, she’s beautiful, Joe thought to himself.  Damn, but she took his breath away.  “Jayce.”  He held his arms out to her and she stepped into his embrace.  Having her in his arms again felt right.  He leaned down and brushed his lips softly against hers.  “I have missed you so much,” he said to her.

She moaned softly and returned the kiss.  “I’ve missed you, too,” she told him, tears coursing down her cheeks.  She leaned against him, marveling in the feel of his hard body beneath her hands.  Time seemed to stop around them as they held one another.  Jaycie didn’t know how long they stayed like that.  It could have been a few minutes or it could have been an hour.

The spell was soon broken, though, when Sav and Viv chorused  “Awww.”  Joe shot them a dirty look over Jaycie’s head.  Viv grinned.  “Are you two going to stand there all day or what?”

Joe and Jaycie reluctantly let go of one another.  “Come along, luv,” he said, taking her hand.  “Let’s get these two clowns out of here.”

They left the airport and got into their waiting limo.  The hotel was on the other side of the city from the airport, and they finally arrived a little before noon.  Much to Joe’s dismay, Jaycie insisted on booking herself a room.  “You don’t want to stay with me?” he asked her.

“It’s not that,” she explained.  “I just thought there would be less pressure on us if we stayed in different rooms.  I think we need the space for now.”

Joe sighed.  Maybe this wasn’t going to be as easy as he had hoped.  “All right.  But make sure your room is close to mine.”

Jaycie ended up getting a room two doors down from Joe’s.  He escorted her upstairs and helped her settle in.  “I’m really glad you’re here, Jayce,” he told her as she was unpacking her suitcase.
She stopped what she was doing and smiled at him.  “Me too, Joe.  It’s great to see you.  You look great.  I love your hair like that.”

He grinned and unconsciously ran his fingers through his hair.  The last time she had seen it he’d had it cropped short and almost white in color.  Now it was shoulder-length and golden blonde.  “You look great too, Jayce.” He walked over to her and caressed her cheek.  “So beautiful.”

She nuzzled her cheek into the palm of his hand.  He sighed at the feel of her soft skin beneath his fingers.  He leaned down to kiss her, only to be interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Dammit,” he growled.  “What!” he yelled at the door.  “This had better be good!”

“Hey, it’s me!” came Viv’s voice from out in the hallway.  “Sav and I are going to meet Rick and Phil for lunch.  Do you guys want to come?”

Joe looked down at Jaycie.  “Do you want to go with them?”

“Sure,” she replied.  “I’d love to see everyone again.”

“Okay.”  Joe unlocked the door and let Vivian into the room.  “Yeah, we’re coming.  Impeccable timing as usual, Campbell.”

Viv mocked him with a bow.  “I do my best.”

Joe took Jaycie’s hand and shoved Viv out the door.  “Smartass.”

The three of them rode the elevator to the lobby where they found Sav waiting for them.  They all piled in the limo once again and headed over to an outdoor café on Sunset Boulevard where they met up with Phil and Rick.  When they spotted Jaycie with the rest of the group, both of them broke into huge grins.  Phil was the first to get to her.  He caught her up in a big bear hug.  “Jaycie luv!  It’s about time you came back to us.  Joe’s been the moodiest sonofabitch since you left.”

“Bugger off, Collen,” Joe said, slapping Phil on the back of the head.

Jaycie laughed helplessly at this exchange.  None of them had changed a bit.  They were still like five little boys.  “Now boys, play nice.” She managed to say in between giggles.  She made her way over to Rick and hugged him.

“Good to see ya, Jayce,” he told her.  “Things haven’t been the same without you.”

She smiled.  “I have missed you guys.  You goofs definitely made life interesting!”

The boys eventually settled down, and they enjoyed a very pleasant lunch.  Two hours and several bottles of wine later, Rick suggested that they go back to his house to jam for a while.  That statement was met with enthusiasm, and before long, they were crowded into Rick’s living room playing for an audience that consisted of Jaycie, Rick’s two Laurens, and Phil’s wife Anita.
They played several songs they were working on for the new album, as well as some old favorites.

After playing for an hour or so, Phil looked over at Joe and grinned.  “Ya know, Jaycie’s never heard us play ‘All Night’ live.”

Joe winked at Jaycie.  “Well, I guess we’ll have to do something about that.”

Rick counted off, and they started the song.  Jaycie listened intently until Joe sang the chorus.  Then she almost fell out of her chair.  She had heard the song numerous times on the Euphoria CD that Sav had sent to her, but that was nothing like hearing Joe sing it not six feet from her.  Not to mention the way he looked at her while he was singing!  Phil looked over at Jaycie and cracked up at the expression on her face.  He was laughing so hard that he couldn’t finish the song.  Curious as to what was so funny, Viv also caught Jaycie’s eye, and he lost it as well.   The song fell apart about halfway through, as soon all five of the guys were practically rolling on the floor laughing.

“Close your mouth, Jaycie luv,” Viv said to her.  “You’re going to catch flies!”

Jaycie gave him a dirty look.  “Very funny, Vivian,” was her reply.

Joe was the first one to recover from their laughing fit.  “Okay, okay,” he said, wiping tears from his eyes.  “That’s enough picking on Jaycie.”  He turned to their audience, who were looking at them like they were crazy.  “Any requests, ladies?”

Jaycie thought for a minute, then a wicked grin crossed her face.  “Yes.  Play ‘Tear It Down’.  I just love that song, and I haven’t heard it in soooo long.”

Now it was Viv’s turn to give Jaycie a dirty look.  She ducked out of the way just in time for a handful of guitar picks to fly over her head.  That turned out to be the end of the jam session, as they all cracked up again.

They spent the rest of the afternoon at Rick’s house.  No one was interested in going out for dinner that evening, so they opted to order in Chinese.  Viv called Jewels to tell her he would be at Rick’s for a few more hours, so she decided to join them, both girls in tow.  Soon the house was filled with the laughter of Lauren and Lily, who were toddling around the room, making sure that all of the adults had to watch their step.

Viv introduced his new baby to Jaycie.  “This is Una,” he said, a huge, proud grin on his face.

“Oh, Vivy, she’s beautiful!” Jaycie exclaimed, looking at the tiny bundle in Viv’s arms.  She had lots of dark curly hair and bright blue eyes.  “Can I hold her?”

“Sure.”  Viv handed the baby to her.

“Oh, you are a sweetie,” Jaycie cooed to the baby.  She looked up to find Joe watching her, a sweet, sad smile on his face.

“You look cute with a baby,” he whispered in her ear.  “You would look even cuter if that were our baby.”  He kissed her cheek and went off to find Sav.

You jackass, Jaycie thought to herself.  Why couldn’t you have said that a year and a half ago?

She glared at his retreating back.   Viv caught the look she was giving Joe and came over to her.

“Boy, Joe had better be glad that looks can’t kill.  What’s wrong, Jayce?”

“Ugh!” she fumed.  “Do you know what he just said to me?  He told me that I looked cute with a baby and I’d look even cuter if the baby were ours.  Why couldn’t he have said that when I thought I was pregnant?  What is the matter with him?”

Viv listened patiently to Jaycie’s tirade.  “Don’t be too hard on him, luv.  I think he knows that he should have been more understanding.  Promise you’ll give him a chance to explain everything?”

Jaycie sighed.  “I promise.  Thanks, Vivy.  You’re the best.”

He grinned.  “Don’t I know it!  Now gimme my kid and go find your man.”

She handed Una back to Vivian and went in search of Joe.  She found him outside by the pool with Sav and Phil.  “Hi guys!  Mind if I join you?”

“Not at all.  It’s always nice to have a beautiful lady grace our presence.”  Joe put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head.

“Aww,” Phil said.  “You two are so cute.  I think you should just forget your problems and suck it up and get married.”

Jaycie raised an eyebrow at Phil.  “Suck it up and get married?  Never heard it put quite like that before.  Quite the Romeo, you are, Mr. Collen.”

“Ah, well, it’s a blessing and a curse.  What can I say?”

“I think you’ve said enough,” Sav piped up, much to the amusement of the group.

Rick came outside then to tell them that the food had arrived.  Sav and Phil headed into the house, poking fun at each other.  Joe held Jaycie back from the rest of them.  “What say we get out of here pretty soon, hmm?  I’d like to have you to myself for a while,” he said softly.

Jaycie nodded.  “I’d like that.”

They joined the others inside.  Dinner passed uneventfully.  As uneventfully as dinner with a table full of children can be, anyway.  They all sat around chatting for another hour or so before Joe announced that they were going to go back to the hotel.  Sav decided to go back with them since he was staying at the same hotel.  A round of good-nights were exchanged, and soon they were on their way.

Back in the hotel lobby, Joe went to the check-in desk to see if he had any mail.  Jaycie and Sav waited for him by the elevators.  “I’m nervous,” she whispered to him.

“Why?” Sav whispered back.

“We haven’t spent more than ten minutes together by ourselves since I got here.  We’re fine when everyone else is around, but what’s it going to be like when we’re alone?”

“You’ll be fine, Jayce.  I’m pretty sure he isn’t going to bite you.  Not unless you want him to, anyway.”  He leered at her.

Jaycie rolled her eyes.  “You are such a pervert.”

Joe joined them then, and together they rode the elevator up to their floor.  Sav went one way down the hall, Joe and Jaycie the other.  “Good night!” Sav called over his shoulder.

“Good night, Savage,” Joe replied.

“Call me in the morning,” Sav called back.  “I want details!”

Jaycie giggled.  “Good night, Savage,” Joe repeated, more firmly this time.  “You gossip more than an old woman!”

They could hear Sav laughing as he walked down the hall.  Joe escorted Jaycie to her door.  “I won’t be long, okay?” she said to him.  “I just want to take a quick shower and put on something more comfortable.”

Joe kissed her quickly.  “All right.  Hurry up; I’ll be waiting for you.”

Jaycie stood in the shower letting the hot water run over her body.  The day had been a whirlwind for her, and she was exhausted.  She knew she was in for a long night; the conversation that she and Joe had to have was not going to be a short one.  The possibility of getting back together with him was enough to keep her going, though.  She smiled at the thought and turned off the water.

Back in his room Joe picked up the clothes that were scattered across the room and over the furniture.  Jaycie knew that he was a slob, but he went around the entire suite, tidying things up a bit anyway.  He wanted everything to be as perfect as possible; he desperately wanted her back.  He called down and placed an order with room service and then hopped into the shower himself.
Jaycie put on her favorite pair of workout pants and a navy blue camisole.  She pulled her curly red hair into a chignon and padded down the hall to Joe’s room.  Taking a deep breath, she knocked softly on the door.

Joe opened the door wearing a white tank top and gray sweatpants, his hair still wet from the shower.  The shirt emphasized his muscular arms and chest, while the pants left nothing to the imagination as far as what was underneath.  Jaycie’s fingers itched to touch him.  ‘God, you’re sexy’, she thought.

He stood in the doorway staring at her.  Her tight little top showed off her cleavage nicely and her spandex pants hugged every curve of hip and thigh.  He thought about how her breasts fit perfectly into his hands, and his cock began to stir.  It occurred to him that every lusty thought he had was going to be obvious to her as long as he was wearing the sweats.  He shook his head and tried to think about his last golf game.

“Are you going to let me in or am I supposed to stand out in the hall all night?” she asked.
“Sorry luv,” he replied sheepishly.  “Please come in.”  He took her by the hand and led her through the suite and out onto the balcony.  He had ordered a platter of various fruits and cheeses from room service, and a bottle of Jaycie’s favorite Riesling was chilling in a silver wine bucket on the table.  Candles were scattered here and there, casting a romantic glow over the balcony.  “It’s a nice night.  I thought we’d talk out here.”

Jaycie smiled at the gesture.  “Are you trying to seduce me, Mr. Elliott?”

He kissed her hand.  “If that is what it takes to get you back, then yes, I’m trying to seduce you.”

They both sat down at the table and he poured the wine.  “I’d like to propose a toast,” he said, lifting his glass to her.  “To all of the wonderful moments we shared in the past; may we visit them again in the future.  Here’s to a new beginning.”

“A new beginning,” Jaycie repeated, taking a sip of her wine.  “That was beautiful, Joe.”

“Thanks.”  He took her hand and held it tightly.  “So where do we begin?”

She sighed.  “I don’t know.  There is so much to say…so much that was left unsaid.”

“Okay, then.  Let me start by apologizing to you.  I am so, so sorry, Jaycie, for all of the things I said that day.  I wish I could take every word back.  You didn’t deserve that.  I shudder every time I think of the awful names I called you.”

“Oh, Joe,” Jaycie said.  “It wasn’t just the names that you called me.  I’ve been called the same things and worse before.  What I couldn’t handle was the fact that you didn’t trust me.  That is what really hurt.  And when you grabbed me like you did, you scared the hell out of me.  You had never touched me in anger before.  I didn’t know what to think.”

“Oh God, Jayce, I am so sorry about that.  I never meant to scare you.  I wasn’t thinking.  Oh, hell, I don’t know.  I was drunk.  That’s not an excuse, but it’s the only thing I have to say for myself.  And it’s not that I didn’t trust you.  When you said that you thought you were pregnant, I flipped out.  My mind stopped working.  I didn’t know what to think or say.  And, obviously, what I did choose to say was wrong.  I have never regretted anything in my life more than I regret what I said to you.  When I woke up the next morning and you were gone, I lost a part of my soul.  And then when you called later to tell me that you weren’t pregnant and that I didn’t deserve a child anyway…,” he couldn’t finish the sentence.  “You have no idea how much that hurt me, Jaycie.  That was a low blow.”

Jaycie winced.  “Joe, I am so sorry.  As soon as I hung up the phone after I left you that message, I wanted to call back and apologize.  I didn’t because I didn’t know how I was going to say that I was sorry for a comment like that.  That was the worst possible thing that I could have said to you.”

“I tried to call you after that, but you never would answer the phone.  I wanted so much to say I was sorry then, but it was too late.  You were already back here in the States, I didn’t think there was anything I could say that would have made you come back home to me.”

Jaycie tried to swallow the sob that was welling up in her throat.  “That’s something else I’m sorry about.  I am sorry I left like I did.  I shouldn’t have left you in anger like that.  I should have stayed so that we could talk things out when we were both calm.  If I hadn’t taken off like I did, maybe we wouldn’t have lost the last year and a half.”  She gave up trying to hold in her tears and began to cry.

Joe pulled her out of her chair and into his arms.  “Shh, my love, shh,” he soothed her.  He could feel her body shaking as she sobbed into his chest.  “It’s not all your fault that we have been apart for so long.  I could have done something to try to get us back together before now.  I didn’t think that you wanted that.”

“You didn’t think I wanted that?” she repeated.  “Didn’t Sav or Viv tell you anything that I said to them?  Every time I talked to one of them I asked about you and said how much I missed you.  I’m sure it drove them crazy; I’m surprised that they didn’t stop calling me altogether.”

“They did tell me, but I thought they were just saying that to make me feel better.  I was quite the sad sight, you know.”  He looked down at her and smiled ruefully.

She managed to smile through her tears.  “I was, too.  I couldn’t sleep for two weeks after that.  My bed seemed so big and empty without you.”

“Mine did, too.  I slept on the couch for a long time.”

“Oh, Joe,” Jaycie sighed.  “What made us wait so long to say these things to each other?”

“I don’t know, Jayce.  Maybe it was meant to happen this way.  When all of this happened I was getting ready to go out on tour with the guys and things were crazy.  If we had made up then I wouldn’t have had much time to spend with you and I know that’s not what either of us would have wanted.  Not a day has gone by that I haven’t thought of you, though.”  He hugged her tightly and then let go.  “Stay here.  I have something to show you.”

He went back into the room and returned with a tattered picture.  “What’s this?” Jaycie asked when he handed it to her.

“I have been carrying this in my wallet ever since it was taken.”  He explained.

She looked down at the photograph in her hand.  It was a picture of them, taken when they had been on holiday in Hawaii two years earlier.  They were standing in the surf at sunset, their arms around each other.  She smiled at the memory.  They looked so happy.

She thought back to when they first met.  They had been introduced by a mutual friend and though there had been an instant attraction between them, she had been weary of dating a rock star.   Especially the lead singer of her favorite band.  Would the man live up to the fantasy that she had seen performing on stage so many times?  In the end, she had given him a chance, and he had indeed turned out to be her fantasy man.  He was like a character from a romance novel, always knowing exactly what to say and do to make her happy.  They had become best friends in their time together, and the love they had shared had been soul stirring in its intensity.  When they were together physically, neither one of them ever knew where one stopped and the other began.  The relationship she had shared with him had been the best thing that had happened to her.  Did she want to give all of that up just because of a stupid fight they had so long ago?  Tears rolled down her cheeks as she thought of the answer.

Joe stared at her as she looked down at the picture of the two of them, amazed again at how very beautiful she was.  The moonlight danced off her skin, giving her an ethereal glow.    A lock of hair had fallen out of her chignon.  He reached over and tucked the errant curl behind her ear.  He caught sight of the smile that was playing on her lips and hooked his finger under her chin, turning her face to his.  “Penny for your thoughts, Jayce?”

She was silent for a moment, trying to think of the right words to say.  “Joe,” she said finally.   “I have longed for you every minute that we have been apart.  My life has been empty without you.  You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to touch you, to hear your voice, to feel your lips on mine.  I have missed you, my heart.  I have missed you and I want you back.  I forgive you and I want to forget that any of this ever happened.”  Jaycie stared into the depths of his beautiful green eyes, trying to read his emotions as he absorbed what she had just said.
Joe watched her watching him.  He saw the truth of her words reflecting in her face and felt the tears he was trying to hold back spill down his cheeks.

He pulled her into his arms and held her tight.  “Oh, Jayce,” he said softly.  “I have waited for so long to hear you say those words.”  His tears fell unchecked into her hair as they held on to one another as if one would disappear if the other were to let go.  He leaned down and kissed her.

She moaned softly against his mouth.  “Joe,” she purred.

That was all the invitation he needed to deepen the kiss.  He ran his tongue over her lips.  She parted them to allow him entrance to her warm, sweet mouth.  A jolt of desire went shooting through her when their tongues met.  She felt her knees go weak and she clung to his muscular arms.  Her fingers twined themselves in his thick, soft hair.  Their tongues danced a slow, intimate dance, each seeking to gain the familiarity with the other that they once shared.  Jaycie captured Joe’s tongue between her lips and suckled gently.  “Ahhh,” he moaned, the motion of her mouth against his tongue making him think of her lips doing the same thing lower down.  “Jaycie,” he whispered.

“Mmm?” she asked.

“I want very much to make love to you.  May I?”

She answered by grinding her hips into his rock-hard erection.

He cupped her round bottom in his hands and lifted her into his arms.  She wrapped her legs around his waist.  “Shall we take this inside?” he asked her.

“Please,” she begged him.

Joe nudged the door open with his foot, closing it behind him, and carried her into the bedroom, never breaking their kiss.  He laid her on the bed and continued to devour her mouth with his.  He slipped his hand inside her top and softly kneaded her breasts.  “Oh, Joe,” she moaned as her nipples tightened into hard little peaks beneath his callused hands.

“This has to go,” he told her, tugging gently on the fabric of her top.  He pulled it off of her and tossed it to the floor.  “That’s better.”  He bent his head to her heaving breasts, taking one of her nipples into his mouth.  He traced slow, tortuous circles around it, then moved to the other one, doing the same thing.

“Oh, God, Joe,” Jaycie moaned.  “That feels so good.”

He kissed and licked his way down her chest and over her flat, tight tummy.  He nipped at her sides, making her giggle.  His head dipped lower until he encountered the waistband of her pants.  He tugged them down only to find that she had nothing on underneath.  “Oh, Jayce,” he moaned at the sight of her lying naked before him.  “You are so beautiful.” He went back to kissing and licking her body, tracing his way down her slim legs and back up again, carefully avoiding the apex of her thighs.

“Joe…..” she panted.  “Please?”

“Please what, love?” he asked her.

“Please lick me here,” she said, taking his hand and running it over her shaved mound to her throbbing clit.

His cock tightened at her actions.  He always loved her to tell him what she wanted him to do.  He obliged her and swirled his tongue over her nub, gently taking it into his mouth.

“Ohhhhh,” Jaycie moaned.  He continued sucking and nibbling her clit.  “Oh, Joe, I’m gonna come!”  She buried her fingers in his hair and held his head to her as her first orgasm washed over her.  “Ohhhh, God, Joe!”

He held her hips with his hands and lapped up her sweet juices as they flowed out of her.  “You taste so good, Jayce.”  He moved up her body and pressed his lips to hers.  “I want you to taste yourself.”

She opened her mouth to his questing tongue and tasted her nectar on his lips.  “Mmmm,” she moaned.  “I need you inside me.”

He quickly shed his clothes and positioned himself between her thighs.  Inch by inch he slid inside her, giving her body the chance to adjust to his size.  “Oh, my love, you’re so tight,” he moaned.  With a slow thrust he buried himself to the hilt.

She pulled him down on top of her, feeling his hard chest pressed against her soft breasts.  She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him further inside.  She loved having his long, hard cock pressed against her womb.  Just feeling him inside her was enough to send her over the edge.  Her hands traced their way down his back to his tight ass.  “I’m going to come again soon,” she whispered in his ear.

He began to move slowly, stoking the fire that was already burning within her.  Within a few moments he felt her inner walls tighten around his cock.  He took a deep breath and tried not to lose himself with her.  He wanted her to come again and again before he enjoyed his own release.  She screamed his name as she came, almost making him lose the tenuous control he held over his body.  He crushed his mouth to hers, trying to muffle her cries.  “Shhh, love,” he whispered to her.  “You’re gonna make me come, and I don’t want to do that yet.”  He kissed her deeply until her orgasm was spent.  Then he rolled them over so that she was on top of him.

She smiled.  This was one of her favorite positions.  She ground her hips into his and leaned back on his legs.  She rubbed her clit in small, slow circles while he watched her.  He reached up and cupped her full breasts in his hands, tugging gently on her nipples.  “Oh, fuck, baby, I’m gonna come again,” she moaned.  She moved up and down on his cock as her walls tightened around him once more.

I can’t take much more of this, he thought to himself.  He rolled them over again so that he was once more in control.  He pulled all but the head of his cock out of her before slowly sliding back in, causing both of them to moan with pleasure.  He set a rhythm for them and she met him thrust for thrust.  Before long they were both hovering at the edge of the ultimate pleasure.
Jaycie squirmed underneath him as she felt the familiar tingle building up inside her.  “Joe, I…I…I’m coming!  Oh, God, I’m coming so hard!” she moaned loudly.

He felt his balls tighten in response to her release.  “Oh, Jayce, I’m gonna come too.”  He thrust himself into her one final time.  “Jaycie!  Ohhhh, baby, oh, fuck, oh yeah!”  He pressed his forehead to hers and spilled his seed deep inside her.  “Oh, Jayce.”

He kissed her slowly and passionately while their bodies spiraled back down to earth, then gathered her in his arms and held her close to him.

 “Oh, Joe,” she sighed sleepily.  “Wow.”

He chuckled.  “I know,” he agreed, stroking her head.  She snuggled closer to him, enjoying the feeling of his hands in her hair.

Her breathing soon became slow and even, and Joe shifted his position slightly so that he could watch her sleep.  She looked like an angel, his angel.  He couldn’t believe that he was so lucky as to have been given a second chance with her.  He kissed her forehead and ran his hand over her cheek.  “I can’t believe you’re here with me again,” he said softly.  “All this time I have been longing to hold you but I never thought I would get another chance.  Something has been missing inside me ever since the day you left, but now that you’re back I feel whole again.  You complete me, my beautiful one.  I love you.”

Somewhere in the space between sleep and wakefulness, Jaycie heard Joe’s heartfelt words.  She felt tears slipping down her cheeks, and she poked him in the chest.

“Ow!” he exclaimed, surprised that she was awake.  “What was that for?”

“For making me cry again,” she told him.

He pulled her closer to him and kissed her softly.  “I’m sorry, my love.  I thought you were asleep.  But you’re crying happy tears, right?”

She smiled and returned his kiss.  “Yes, I’m crying happy tears.”

“Good.  From now on, every time you cry it will be from happiness.  I will never hurt you again, Jaycie, I swear.”

She wrapped her arms around him.  “I love you, Joe.”  She loved saying those words to him again.

“I love you too, Jayce.  Forever.”  He kissed her again and they settled back into the covers, a pleasant drowsiness overcoming both of them.

Jaycie’s last thought before she fell asleep was that she was in the place where she was meant to be.  In Joe’s life, in his arms, in his heart.
 

~ The End ~

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